Name: Puerto Rican Rice and Beans (Arroz Con Habichuelas Guisadas)
Prep time: 8 h
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 9 h 15 min
Yield: For 4–6 people
Cuisine: Jamaica
Ingredients: A large pinch of dried oregano; ½ tsp annatto, or 1 tsp paprika (optional); 1–2 green sweet/bell peppers/pimientos, stem and seeds removed, finely chopped; Light olive oil; 340 g/12 oz/1½ cups white short grain rice, washed; 2 cloves garlic, peeled; Half a medium onion, peeled; Salt; 1½ tbsp vegetable oil; 170 g/6 oz/¾ cup pumpkin flesh, cubed; 1 tbsp concentrated tomato purée; 56 g/2 oz/¼ cup lightly smoked ham, diced; 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped; 1 medium onion, finely chopped; 28 g/1 oz/⅛ cup salt pork or green (uncured) bacon, diced; A small handful fresh coriander/cilantro leaves, finely chopped; 225 g/8 oz dried pinto or kidney beans, washed, then soaked in water for 8 hours

Preparation info

For
4–6
people

Difficulty
Complex
Ready in
10 hr

Appears in

The Rice Book

By Sri Owen

Published 1993

About

A good friend and well-known cookery writer, Alice Wooledge Salmon, gave me this recipe on her return from a trip to Puerto Rico. There, as in Jamaica, rice and peas or rice and beans is a favourite staple, a daily accompaniment to salt cod, fried bananas or plantains, or just a plain fried egg.

If you use annatto seeds, crush them in a little oil in a mortar before combining the mixture with the other ingredients.