Traditional Puerto Rican dish with brown rice and pigeon peas, flavored with sofrito, cumin, and bay leaves. Lower in sodium and high in fiber.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons sofrito (If you don't have sofrito, you can add 1/2 chopped onion, 1/2 chopped bell pepper, and 1-2 minced garlic cloves. Sauté with the oil at the beginning of the preparation.)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground annatto (achiote)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups brown rice (If using white rice, you'll need less water.)
- 15 ounces canned green pigeon peas (You can use fresh pigeon peas instead of canned. Cook them in water for 45 minutes and add an additional 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the recipe.)
- 2½ cups water
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 2 fresh culantro leaves
- 1 large red bell pepper
Image
![Brown Rice with Pigeon Peas Brown Rice with Pigeon Peas](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/mer_recipe1_onpage.jpg?itok=8ikYHdtG)
Directions
Nutritional Information Prep: 20 min, Cook: 1 hr, Total: 1 hr 20 min
- In a medium-sized pot over medium heat, add the oil, sofrito, tomato paste, cumin, annatto, and salt. Stir to combine the ingredients.
- Add the rice and stir to coat all the rice grains with the spices.
- Add the canned pigeon peas with their liquid and water.
- Once the water is boiling, cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 60 minutes without uncovering.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cut the red bell pepper in half, remove the stem and seeds, and place the two halves on a baking sheet with the skin facing up. Roast for 30 minutes until the skin becomes black.
- Remove the pepper from the oven and let it cool. Once cool, peel off the skin and slice it thinly.
- After 60 minutes, uncover the pot and fluff the rice with a fork. Remove and discard the bay leaves and culantro leaves.
- Place the pepper slices on top of the rice.
- Serve as a side dish with your favorite protein and vegetables.
- Store any leftover cooked rice in the fridge for 4-6 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- 190 calories
- 33 g carbohydrates
- 3.8 g fiber
- 0 g added sugars
- 5 g protein
- 5 g total fat
- 0.8 g saturated fat
- 186 mg sodium
- 271 mg potassium
- 21 mg calcium
- 143mg phosphorus