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Gallo pinto
Costa Rican and Nicaraguan breakfast of day-old rice fried with black beans, onion, sweet pepper and coriander
Gallo pinto means 'spotted rooster', for the speckled look of rice tossed with beans, and both Costa Rica and Nicaragua claim it. In Costa Rica it's black beans with plenty of coriander and a tangy brown sauce, served at breakfast with eggs, sour cream and fried plantain; in Nicaragua red beans are fried harder with onion until the rice turns rusty. This version follows the Costa Rican breakfast table and gets its tang from cumin and a little soy sauce. Chef's tip: use rice cooked the day before and keep a cup of the bean cooking liquid; that dark liquid is what colours the rice.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add 1 onion and ½ red sweet pepper and fry for 5 minutes, until soft and starting to colour at the edges.
5 minStep 2: Add 2 cloves garlic and ½ tsp ground cumin and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
1 minStep 3: Add 14 oz cooked black beans and ½ cup bean cooking liquid or tin liquid. Simmer for 3 minutes, mashing a few beans with the spoon, until the liquid thickens slightly and turns glossy.
3 minStep 4: Tip in 1 ⅛ lb cooked long-grain white rice, a day old, breaking up clumps with your fingers as it goes in. Fold everything together gently for 4–5 minutes until every grain is tinted grey-brown and the pan is almost dry. Common mistake: using freshly cooked rice; it goes mushy and sticky instead of staying in separate grains.
5 minStep 5: Stir in 1 tbsp soy sauce and season with ½ tsp salt. Fold through most of 1 small bunch fresh coriander, scatter the rest on top and serve hot, with eggs, sour cream, fried plantain or tortillas on the side.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 66 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gallo pinto take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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