While in Costa Rica, I'm fairly certain I ate Gallo Pinto 3 times a day. Yes, because it is so popular in the country, but also because it's just downright delicious. Known as the national dish of Costa Rica, Gallo Pinto translates to "spotted rooster" in English, probably due to the appearance of the rice once the black beans are cooked with it. Below it a recipe you can easily make any time you're craving a little Costa Rican fare. Bien provecho!
Ingredients
http://costaricaingeneral.blogspot.com/2012/11/costa-rican-recipes.html
Ingredients
- 1 lb black beans (fresh are best but most likely you’ll find them dried)
- 8 – 10 sprigs fresh cilantro
- 1 small or medium onion
- ½ small red or yellow sweet pepper (optional)
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups white rice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 – 3 tablespoons oil to fry the Gallo Pinto
- If beans are dried, cover with water and soak overnight, if they are fresh, just rise them off. Drain the beans and add fresh water to an inch above the top of the beans, salt, and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and reduce heat to very low simmer until beans are soft (~3 hours). Note: If you'd like to skip this process you can use cans of black beans and just heat them in a sauce pan.
- Chop cilantro, onion, and sweet pepper very fine.
- Add 1 Tablespoon oil to a large pan and sauté the dry ricefor 2 minutes over medium high flame then add half of the chopped onion, sweet pepper, and cilantro. Sauté another 2 minutes. Add water, bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer until rice is tender (20 – 35 minutes).
- Once the rice and beans are cooked you can refrigerate or freeze them. Keep a significant amount of the “black water” with the beans (½ – 1 cup). This is what gives the rice its color and some of its flavor. Sauté the rice, beans, reserved chopped onion, sweet pepper and cilantro together in vegetable or olive oil for a few minutes. Sprinkle with a little fresh chopped cilantro just before serving.
- Once the rice and beans are cooked you can also refrigerate or freeze them. Make up small batches of Gallo Pinto when you want it by simply sautéing them together.
http://costaricaingeneral.blogspot.com/2012/11/costa-rican-recipes.html