Gallo Pinto Recipe
Gallo Pinto is a famous rice and bean dish from the cuisines of Nicaragua and Costa Rica. I came across it while researching what I could make with the black beans I frequently see here in Spain. It’s almost universally known that beans and rice are a great match, and nearly every cuisine in the world has a dish that combines them.
In Turkish cuisine, beans and rice are cooked separately but often served together. In Mexican cuisine, they come together in burritos. Portuguese cuisine has a dish called arroz de feijão, which is similar to gallo pinto but with a different texture. You can find variations of this combination in different South American countries, Italy, and various African countries too.
The name "gallo pinto" is quite fun—it means "spotted rooster" in Spanish. It’s believed that the dish gets its name from its colorful appearance. It can be eaten at any meal of the day, even for breakfast. At breakfast, it’s typically served with fried plantains, bacon, avocado, and eggs. As a Turk, I served it with walnut cacık (a yogurt and cucumber dip with walnuts). Who could say anything against that! And it paired really well. If Nicaraguans tried it, I think they’d say from now on, gallo pinto should be eaten this way.
As I mentioned in the recipe, you can use either red or black beans. In my opinion, black beans taste slightly different from red beans. If I had to choose, I’d go with red beans. But since I have about half a kilo of black beans at home that I need to use up, I’ll likely share some different black bean recipes in the coming days.
Enjoy the recipe!
Gallo Pinto Recipe with Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup of rice,
- 1 cup of cooked black or red beans,
- 1 onion (chopped),
- 1 red bell pepper,
- 2 cloves of garlic,
- 4-5 tablespoons of olive oil,
- Cumin,
- Salt,
- Fresh cilantro or parsley.
Preparation
- Sauté the diced onion and finely chopped garlic in heated olive oil until softened,
- Add the finely chopped red bell pepper and sauté until softened,
- Add the rinsed and drained rice, and sauté for a few minutes,
- Add salt, cumin, and water, stir, cover the pot, and cook until the water is almost fully absorbed,
- Add the beans, stir, cover again, and cook until the water is completely absorbed. Then turn off the heat and let it rest,
- Before serving, mix in some chopped cilantro or parsley.
Enjoy!