Rice with Pigeon Peas (Arroz con Gandules) is one of the quintessential Puerto Rican Xmas dishes. Around this time, you can find fresh pigeon peas at the Farmer’s Markets or Plazas del Mercado.
RICE WITH PIGEON PEAS
2 cups of whole-grain rice 5 cups of water 2 tbs annatto oil 2 tbs sofrito 1 vegetable bouillon cube 1 tsp salt 1 ½ cups fresh pigeon peas – if they’re dry, you will need to soak them for about 2-3 hours before using them in the recipe ½ cup of stuffed Spanish olives
- Wash the rice well.
- In a large pot over medium heat, add the annatto oil, vegetable cube, sofrito, olives and pigeon peas. Sauté everything and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add the washed rice to the pot. Mix everything well to make sure the rice is coated with the oil and seasonings.
- Add the water and mix well. Cook at medium heat for about 20-25 minutes until most of the water has evaporated. Stir the rice and cover so the rice can finish cooking and all the water is absorbed.
KarmaFree Cooking 
I cooked this dish for my family and they absolutely loved it! The children weren’t to keen on the look of it but once they tried some they couldn’t get enough. Especially with some black pepper on top! Just wonderful!
I’m soooo glad u liked it… you should try one of our other rice recipes. I am making tonite my Arroz Kristina, with mushrooms, spinach, nuts and cheese!!!!
Very nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wished to say that I’ve really enjoyed surfing around your blog posts.
Thanks for the suggestion, looks lovely. I’m sure to give this one a go too. Thanks for commenting back 🙂