Best 10 Rice With Pigeon Peas Arroz Con Gandules Recipes

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Arroz con gandules, a classic Puerto Rican dish, is a flavorful rice dish made with pigeon peas, tomatoes, peppers, and spices. It's a comforting and hearty meal that's often served with stewed meats or fish. The dish is believed to have originated in the Caribbean, where pigeon peas are a staple ingredient. The combination of the soft, creamy pigeon peas and the savory rice makes for a delicious and satisfying meal. Whether you're a seasoned cook or a beginner in the kitchen, this guide will provide you with the steps and ingredients needed to create a delicious and authentic arroz con gandules. Let's dive in and explore the flavors of this traditional Puerto Rican dish!

Let's cook with our recipes!

ARROZ CON GANDULES (PUERTO RICAN RICE AND PIGEON PEAS)



Arroz Con Gandules (Puerto Rican Rice and Pigeon Peas) image

Arroz con Gandules -- also known as Puerto Rican Rice with Pigeon Peas -- is Puerto Rico's national dish for a reason! It's a flavorful Puerto Rican rice dish made with gandules (pigeon peas), green olives and sofrito. Treat your friends and family to this famous rice tonight!

Provided by Jessica - The Novice Chef

Categories     Side Dishes

Time 1h10m

Number Of Ingredients 14

4 slices bacon or ham, optional
2 tablespoons oil (olive or vegetable oil)
1 cup fresh or frozen gandules (pigeon peas), drained from the water
3/4 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup green olives
1/4 cup sofrito, thawed if using store bought frozen sofrito
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon adobo seasoning
½ packet sazon
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cumin powder
3 ½ cups water
3 cups medium white rice, rinsed
cilantro, optional garnish

Steps:

  • 1. Heat a large heavy bottomed pot, or a caldero if you have one, over medium heat. If using ham or bacon, slowly cook the meat until crispy, remove meat from pot and set aside leaving the drippings. If not using meat, add olive oil before continuing with the next step. 2. Then, add the gandules, tomato sauce, green olives, sofrito, salt, adobo seasoning, sazon, ground black pepper and ground cumin. Stir to fully combine. 3. Once the mixture becomes fragrant, pour in the water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and then add the rice. Stir until rice is submerged and pigeon peas are distributed evenly. 4. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for about 25 minutes. You can add your ham or bacon back in now if you want, or wait to add it in again before serving. Traditionally the rice would be covered with a banana or plantain leaf. However, a tight fitting pot lid will work just fine! 5. About half way through cooking, remove the lid and stir, making sure to scrape up any rice stuck at the bottom of the pan. This is a very touchy subject - some Puerto Ricans insist that you don't stir the rice while cooking. That the crispy bottom bites are the best part! While others would prefer more evenly cooked rice. Whatever you do, if you do stir the rice, make sure you only do it once or the rice can become sticky. 6. After simmering for 25 minutes, remove the arroz con gandules from the heat and let it sit for an additional 30 minutes before serving. This is called letting the rice "steam". The rice is done once all the liquid is absorbed. 7. After letting the rice rest for about a half hour, remove the lid. Fluff and stir the rice, then serve warm with fresh cilantro, if desired.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 257 calories, Carbohydrate 25 grams carbohydrates, Cholesterol 16 milligrams cholesterol, Fat 12 grams fat, Fiber 3 grams fiber, Protein 12 grams protein, SaturatedFat 1 grams saturated fat, ServingSize 1, Sodium 1265 milligrams sodium, Sugar 1 grams sugar, TransFat 0 grams trans fat, UnsaturatedFat 7 grams unsaturated fat

ARROZ CON GANDULES (PIGEON PEAS RICE)



Arroz con Gandules (Pigeon Peas Rice) image

This delicious rice is the side dish of choice at every Dominican and Puerto Rican holiday dinner. Made with pigeon peas and a mixture of Latin seasonings, this popular rice dish is perfect for Nochebuena.

Provided by Vanessa

Categories     Side Dish

Time 35m

Number Of Ingredients 14

1/2 cup red onion (, chopped)
1/2 cup green bell pepper (, chopped)
3 cloves garlic (, minced)
2 tablespoons cilantro
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
2 cubes chicken bouillon ((caldo de pollo))
1 teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon adobo
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon alcaparrado
15 oz can gandules verdes ((green pigeon peas), with liquid)
2 cups water
3 cups rice

Steps:

  • In a food processor, pulse the onion, bell pepper, garlic and cilantro until all is chopped very small to make the sofrito.
  • In a large cast-iron pot, heat oil over medium heat. Saute the sofrito mixture, tomato sauce, chicken bouillon cubes, sazon, oregano, adobo, black pepper and alcaparrado for about 2-3 minutes until vegetables begin to release aroma.
  • Add the pigeon peas with it's liquid and 2 cups of water. When the water begins to boil, add the rice, stirring occasionally to avoid from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
  • Once the rice has soaked up all the water and begins to dry up, lower the heat to low. Cover and let cook for 25 minutes. Then, stir the rice carefully and cover for an additional 5 minutes.
  • Serve warm.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 375 kcal, Carbohydrate 70 g, Protein 9 g, Fat 6 g, SaturatedFat 4 g, Sodium 100 mg, Fiber 5 g, Sugar 1 g, ServingSize 1 serving

ARROZ CON GANDULES (RICE WITH PIGEON PEAS)



Arroz con Gandules (Rice with Pigeon Peas) image

Feed a crowd with this authentic Arroz con Gandules recipe, which was handed down to me from my mom. It's a staple with the "familia" at all our gatherings. -Evelyn Robles, Oak Creek, Wisconsin

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Side Dishes

Time 45m

Yield 18 servings (3/4 cup each).

Number Of Ingredients 12

1/2 cup sofrito
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 cups uncooked long grain rice
1 envelope Goya sazon with coriander and annatto
7 cups water
1 can (15 ounces) pigeon peas, drained
2 cans (5 ounces each) Vienna sausage, drained and chopped
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
1 envelope Goya ham-flavored concentrate
1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Steps:

  • In a Dutch oven, cook Sofrito in oil over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add rice and sazon; cook and stir until rice is lightly toasted, 3-4 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until rice is tender, 15-20 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 220 calories, Fat 5g fat (1g saturated fat), Cholesterol 14mg cholesterol, Sodium 537mg sodium, Carbohydrate 38g carbohydrate (1g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 6g protein.

ARROZ CON GANDULES (PUERTO RICAN RICE WITH PIGEON PEAS)



Arroz con Gandules (Puerto Rican Rice With Pigeon Peas) image

Every step and ingredient adds something important to this recipe from the Puerto Rican-born chef and writer Reina Gascón-López. Annatto seeds steeped in oil give the rice its signature marigold hue. The banana leaf imparts a subtle tropical aroma to the rice as it cooks. Olives, ham, beer and peppers with their brine offer salt, fat, acid, umami and a bright pop of color. The sheer number of flavors layered into this dish make it a delight to unpack. The most exhilarating layer is the last one: pegao, the crisp, glassy shards of rice at the bottom of the pot. Gandules (pigeon peas) make this version of rice and beans distinctly Caribbean. Ms. Gascón-López prefers to start with dry gandules, which her family sometimes ships to her from Puerto Rico, then flavors the pot with some sofrito, a bay leaf or two and a smoked pork neck. If you have trouble finding dry pigeon peas, they are often labeled as toor at Indian grocery stores.

Provided by Samin Nosrat

Categories     dinner, grains and rice, vegetables, main course

Time 1h30m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 24

Fresh or thawed frozen banana leaves, washed and wiped for steaming and serving
1/4 cup neutral oil, such as canola
2 teaspoons annatto seeds
1 1/2 ounces ham or pork fatback, small diced (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup sofrito (recipe below)
2 tablespoons sliced manzanilla olives
1 tablespoon store-bought or homemade sazón spice blend with achiote (see Tip)
1 1/2 cups cooked pigeon peas, drained (reserve 2 1/2 cups cooking liquid, if possible)
Store-bought or homemade adobo spice blend (see Tip), to taste
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups medium-grain or jasmine rice
1/2 cup pale, lager-style beer
1 jarred roasted red pepper, thinly sliced, plus 3 tablespoons brine
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion, large diced (about 1 cup)
1/2 medium red bell pepper, stem, ribs and seeds removed, then large diced
1/2 medium green bell pepper, stem, ribs and seeds removed, then large diced
1/2 large cubanelle or Italian frying pepper, stemmed and seeded, then large diced
5 garlic cloves
1 loosely packed cup cilantro, roughly chopped
3 scallions, trimmed and roughly chopped
1 1/2 ají dulce peppers, stemmed and seeded (optional)
1/4 loosely packed cup roughly chopped culantro (optional)
3/4 teaspoon store-bought or homemade sazón spice blend with achiote (see Tip)

Steps:

  • Lay 1 banana leaf (or more, if needed) flat on a large cutting board, then set the lid of a large Dutch oven or similar pot on top. Use a paring knife to trace around the lid, and cut the leaf (or leaves) so that they will fit properly inside the pot. Cover with a clean dishcloth and set aside.
  • In a small saucepan, cook the neutral oil and annatto seeds over medium heat, allowing the seeds to infuse the oil. After 2 to 3 minutes, when the oil begins to bubble and the seeds start to crackle, turn off the heat and allow the oil to cool completely. Pour the cool oil through a fine-mesh strainer, reserving seeds for another round of infusing, if desired.
  • Make the sofrito: Use a food processor or high-speed blender to pulse the onion, red and green bell peppers, cubanelle pepper, garlic, cilantro, scallions, ají dulce peppers (if using) and culantro (if using), adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of water if needed to achieve a smooth, salsa-like consistency. Stir in 3/4 teaspoon sazón and set aside. (The sofrito makes about 2 cups. Refrigerate it for up to 5 days or portion it into ice cube trays or plastic containers, and freeze up to 6 months.)
  • Set the large Dutch oven or similar pot over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons annatto oil and the ham or fatback. Sauté until crisp and most of the fat has rendered, about 6 minutes. Add 1/4 cup sofrito, the olives and 1 tablespoon sazón, stirring until sofrito is fragrant, about 3 minutes.
  • Next, add pigeon peas and sauté for another 3 minutes. Season with adobo, salt and black pepper to taste.
  • Reduce heat to medium. Add rice, stirring until grains are all coated, seasoned and starting to toast. If there isn't enough oil to generously coat all of the rice and peas in the pot, add the remaining tablespoon of annatto oil. This will help form a delicious golden bottom crust called pegao.
  • Once the rice is toasted, stir in the beer and cook for about 3 minutes, then add the reserved pigeon-pea liquid (or 2 1/2 cups water) and roasted red pepper brine. Taste the cooking liquid and adjust salt as needed; it should be pleasantly salty.
  • Gently stir rice, then spread about half the thinly sliced roasted red pepper over the rice. Drizzle with olive oil. Cover rice with prepared banana leaves, then cover pot with its lid and cook for 22 minutes.
  • Once the time has passed, remove the lid, open the banana leaves and gently fold the rice onto itself from the outside in to form a mound in the center of the pot. Reduce heat to medium-low, replace banana leaves and lid and continue cooking for 20 to 25 minutes to allow pegao to form at the bottom of the pot.
  • To serve, spoon rice atop a platter layered with fresh banana leaves. Garnish with remaining sliced roasted peppers. Use a metal spatula to scrape pegao out of the pot and serve on a separate plate. Be careful, because everyone will fight over it!

RICE WITH PIGEON PEAS - ARROZ CON GANDULES



Rice With Pigeon Peas - Arroz Con Gandules image

This is one of my favorite Puerto Rican rice recipe. I love pigeon peas. You can find sazon and pigeon peas in the hispanic section of the grocery store. Pigeon Peas are Puerto Rico's national dish. This recipe is from About.com.

Provided by 1PugMom2

Categories     One Dish Meal

Time 55m

Yield 4-6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup sofrito sauce
1/2 cup chopped ham (or cooked pork pieces)
2 cups rice
4 cups water
1 1/4 ounces , goya sazon seasoning found in latin markets
1 (15 ounce) can pigeon peas (drained and rinsed)

Steps:

  • 1. Heat olive oil in a 6-quart pot. Saute the sofrito and chopped ham for 1 minute.
  • 2.Add the rice, water, sazon and pigeon peas.
  • 3.Bring to a boil. Let boil for 2 to 3 minutes.
  • 4.Cover, reduce heat to medium low, and cook for 35 to 40 minutes.
  • TIP: Do not use a lid with a vent that allows the steam to escape.
  • Never lift the lid while cooking.
  • 5.When finished cooking, stir the rice before serving. It should be light and fluffy.

ARROZ CON GANDULES RECIPE BY TASTY



Arroz Con Gandules Recipe by Tasty image

A traditional Puerto Rican dish, arroz con gandules is rice cooked with green pigeon peas. This orange-hued dish is full of flavor from the herby, peppery sofrito and pairs nicely with stewed chicken, pork, or red beans. Don't worry if the bottom layer burns a bit as you finish cooking the rice--this crispy layer is called pegao and is one of the best parts of the dish!

Provided by Tikeyah Whittle

Categories     Sides

Time 1h15m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

½ small bunch fresh cilantro
½ small bunch culantro
¼ white onion, roughly chopped
¼ red bell pepper, roughly chopped
¼ green bell pepper, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ cup canola oil
10 pimento-stuffed spanish olives, thinly sliced into rounds
1 tomato sauce
2 teaspoons dried adobo seasoning
2 packets Sazón with culantro and achiote seasoning
1 can pigeon peas, drained
3 cups water
3 ⅓ cups medium grain white rice

Steps:

  • To the bowl of a food processor, add the cilantro, culantro, onion, red and green bell peppers and garlic. Pulse until combined. Add the cumin and oregano and pulse a few more times to incorporate. The sofrito should have the consistency of a tapenade.
  • Heat ¼ cup of canola oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the sofrito and fry, stirring constantly, until deepened in color but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the olives, tomato sauce, adobo seasoning, Sazón seasoning, pigeon peas, and water, and stir to combine.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil, then add the rice. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until the liquid is fully evaporated and the rice around the edges of the pot looks dry.
  • Stir, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook the rice for another 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the rice is tender and fluffy.
  • Serve the arroz con gandules warm alongside dishes of your choice.
  • Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts : Calories 647 calories, Carbohydrate 48 grams, Fat 50 grams, Fiber 11 grams, Protein 7 grams, Sugar 6 grams

ARROZ CON GANDULES (PUERTO RICAN RICE WITH PIGEON PEAS)



Arroz Con Gandules (Puerto Rican Rice with Pigeon Peas) image

Provided by Jannese

Categories     Side Dish

Time 30m

Number Of Ingredients 13

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup country ham or bacon, diced ( (optional))
1/3 cup sofrito
3 cups water or low sodium chicken broth
1 ½ tsp sazón con achiote y culantro
1 cube chicken bouillon (or more if needed)
2 tbsp tomato paste (or 1/3 cup tomato sauce)
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning or oregano (either one works)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
2-3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons pimento stuffed olives (optional)
15 ounce can Pigeon Peas (Gandules), drained and rinsed (or 2 cups of fresh or frozen)
2 cups parboiled rice

Steps:

  • Heat your caldero or Dutch oven to medium heat, and add your olive oil, bacon/ham (if using) and sofrito. Stir constantly until fragrant and tender, but not browned, about 4 minutes.
  • Next add in the Sazon, tomato sauce or paste and chicken bouillon. Stir to combine.
  • Add in the drained pigeon peas, Italian seasoning or oregano, bay leaves, and water/broth. Add the cilantro and/or olives, if using. Allow the liquid to come up to a boil, and taste it for salt. If it needs more saltiness, add in another chicken bouillon cube. You want this liquid to be highly seasoned, as it will determine the final seasoning of the rice.
  • Once the mixture is boiling, add the rice. Stir the rice to get it submerged and distribute the pigeon peas throughout.
  • Cover and allow the rice to absorb all the visible liquid. Once most of the visible surface liquid is absorbed, stir the rice, and cover again. Lower the flame to low, and allow it to steam for 20-25 minutes. It's done with all the liquid is absorbed and the grains are fluffy and fully cooked.

ARROZ CON GANDULES (YELLOW RICE WITH PIGEON PEAS)



Arroz con Gandules (Yellow Rice with Pigeon Peas) image

Provided by Food Network

Number Of Ingredients 13

1/2 cup Spanish olive oil
1 small piece salt pork
2 tablespoons Sofrito Marinade, recipe follows
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup rice
1 (12-ounce) can goya gandules or pigeon peas
1 teaspoon saffron
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 to 3 cups water or chicken stock
1 green pepper, small dice
1/2 Spanish onion, small dice
4 to 5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Steps:

  • In a large saucepan, heat oil and salt pork over medium-high heat. Add sofrito and cook 1 minute. Add tomato paste and mix well, cook for 2 minutes. Add rice and cook 2 minutes being careful not to scorch the rice, turning all the time. Add saffron and gandules and stir constantly. Add liquid, stirring constantly. Add salt and pepper to taste and bring everything to a boil. Lower heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes. Do not disturb. After 15 minutes, check the rice. Stir. Recover. Turn off heat and let steam for 5 minutes more. Serve immediately with pernil asado or alone. The rice should be fluffy and separate. The color should be golden.
  • Mix together all ingredients and set aside to let flavors meld together.

BROWN RICE AND PIGEON PEAS (ARROZ CON GANDULES)



Brown Rice and Pigeon Peas (Arroz Con Gandules) image

This is one of my favorite recipes of any kind. It's tasty, healthy, easy, quick, and I'm happy eating it for days on end. It's based on a Goya recipe that I adapted to use brown rice for better nutritional value. If you want to eat more whole grains but just can't find appetizing ways to prepare them, give this a try. It can also be made with long-grain white rice if you prefer (not jasmine rice or anything like that, just the ordinary kind). The canned pigeon peas and sazon can both be found in the latino/hispanic/international section of most US supermarkets.

Provided by Mary the Disturbed

Categories     Brown Rice

Time 42m

Yield 6-8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 slices smoked bacon, diced
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15 ounce) can pigeon peas (gandules)
1 packet goya sazon goya with coriander and annatto
1/2 cup tomato sauce
3 cups water
2 cups long grain brown rice

Steps:

  • Heat oil in a large, deep skillet. Add the bacon and onion and cook three minutes. Add the garlic and cook two minutes longer.
  • Stir in all remaining ingredients except rice. Bring to a boil.
  • Stir in rice, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer until rice is tender (about 40-45 minutes if you're using brown rice, 25-30 minutes if you use white rice.

ARROZ CON GANDULES



Arroz con Gandules image

Arroz con gandules is a combination of rice and pigeon peas cooked in the same pot with sofrito. This is Puerto Rico's national dish along with roasted pork. I make a whole pot of arroz con gandules at least once a month just for me. I eat it all week long with nothing but lots of hot sauce. This rice dish is a must for all family events, gatherings or even a day at the beach.

Provided by Food Network

Categories     side-dish

Time 1h

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

3 cups medium-grain rice
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons sofrito with recao (culantro)
One 15-ounce can gandules (pigeon peas), not drained
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons Spanish olives
1 packet sazón con achiote (1 1/2 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon adobo
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Steps:

  • Rinse the rice with cold water, drain and set aside.
  • Heat the oil and sofrito in a 6-quart Dutch oven or caldero over medium-high heat, 2 minutes. Stir in the gandules with liquid, tomato sauce, olives, sazón, adobo and black pepper to taste then bring to a simmer. Stir in the rice, add 2 cups water and bring to a boil until the water begins to evaporate. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the rice is tender, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit for 20 minutes.
  • Before serving, fluff the rice and add the cilantro.

Tips:

  • Use fresh ingredients whenever possible. Fresh pigeon peas have a sweeter, more delicate flavor than dried peas. If you're using dried peas, be sure to soak them overnight before cooking.
  • Rinse the rice thoroughly before cooking. This will help to remove any dirt or debris.
  • Use a heavy-bottomed pot for cooking the rice. This will help to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
  • Bring the rice and water to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the rice is cooked through. Do not stir the rice while it is cooking, as this can make it gummy.
  • Fluff the rice with a fork before serving. This will help to separate the grains of rice and make it light and fluffy.
  • Serve the rice with your favorite Puerto Rican dishes, such as stewed chicken, pork, or fish. You can also add vegetables, such as onions, peppers, and tomatoes, to the rice.

Conclusion:

Arroz con gandules is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It is easy to make and can be tailored to your own taste preferences. Whether you like it simple or with a variety of toppings, arroz con gandules is sure to please everyone at the table.

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