An iconic Cuban recipe of black beans and rice called Moros y Cristianos, or Arroz Congri, is made with long-grain rice, black beans, and fragrant spices.
Moros y Cristianos ~ Rice and Black Beans
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- ½ cup green bell pepper chopped
- ½ cup red bell pepper chopped
- small onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup long grain rice
- 15 oz black beans use the liquid in the recipe
- 1 ½ cups water
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1 bay leaf
- pinch oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a heavy medium-sized pot, heat oil on medium heat. Add onions, peppers and garlic and saute until soft, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add rice, beans, water, cumin, bay leaf, oregano and salt and pepper Simmer on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the rice absorbs most of the water and just barely skims the top of the rice Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes (don’t peek).
- Make sure you have a good seal on your cover, the steam cooks the rice. After 20 minutes, shut the flame off and let it sit, covered another 5 minutes (don’t open the lid).
Nutrition
Did You Know
Moros y Cristianos means ‘Moors and Christians’. Moros refers to the black beans, and Cristianos to the white rice. The name of the dish is a reference to the African Muslim governance (early 8th century) of the Iberian Peninsula and subsequent Reconquista (15th century) in which Spanish Christians led by wealthy families in the north of Spain forced the Moors from the south of Spain into Africa.
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