Caribbean

Arroz con Gandules

My Haitian spin on Puerto Rican yellow rice with pigeon peas. Different countries, similar approach — that's the beauty of cooking. This version uses epis for extra depth of flavor.

Prep:10 min
Cook:30 min
Total:40 min
Serves:6
Difficulty:easy
Arroz con Gandules

Ingredients

  • 3 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 tbsp Haitian epis
  • 8 oz tomato sauce
  • 15 oz can gandules (pigeon peas), drained
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Adobo seasoning, to taste
  • Chicken bouillon, to taste
  • Sazon, to taste
  • Garlic powder, to taste

Instructions

  1. 1

    In a pot, heat oil over medium heat and sauté garlic until soft.

  2. 2

    Add epis, tomato sauce, and all your seasonings (salt, pepper, adobo, chicken bouillon, sazon, garlic powder). Stir well.

  3. 3

    Let this cook for 1 minute before adding your gandules. Stir to combine.

  4. 4

    Stir in rinsed rice and simmer for 1-2 minutes so it soaks up all that flavor.

  5. 5

    Mix in chicken stock and bay leaf. Stir, cover, and lower the heat.

  6. 6

    Cook until the liquid is absorbed.

  7. 7

    Place foil over your rice, add the lid, bring heat to the lowest level, and allow the rice to steam until cooked all the way through.

Tips

The foil trick at the end helps create perfectly fluffy rice by trapping steam. Don't skip rinsing the rice — it removes excess starch and prevents gummy texture.