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Arroz con Gandules is Puerto Rico’s national dish and is often served with pernil (slow roasted pork shoulder), especially during the holidays. Which is a good chunk of time because the island holds the record for longest Christmas season in the world! There is a joy in our culture that in my eyes makes it cosmic justice that we chose this dish to represent us and that we serve it during our most festive moments. Because I am lazy, I make mine in an electric pressure cooker but one can make this on the stove too.

Ingredients

Dry Mix

• 2 envelopes of sazon Goya (Achiote y Culantro flavor)
• 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp adobo
• 1 ½ tsp bullion powder or 1 cube

Wet Mix

• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• ¼ c sofrito

• 1 tbsp olive oil (or achiote oil)
• 1 small onion, cut in chunks
• ¼ c Spanish olives
• 2 c water
• 1 package of Goya frozen pigeon peas or 1 can of Goya pigeon peas, rinsed and drained
• 2 c medium grain rice, washed
• A few sprigs of cilantro

Instructions

1. Combine Dry Mix in a small bowl
2. Combine Wet Mix Paste in another small bowl
3. Turn on cooker to Sauté mode
4. Add onions and cook until transparent
5. Add Wet Mix and olives and heat until fragrant
6. Add water, pigeon peas, rice, cilantro, and Dry Mix to the pot. Stir
7. Turn off the Sauté function, and set to Pressure Cook on low for 20 minutes. Press Start
8. After the cooking finishes, allow the pressure to naturally release for at least 30 minutes before serving

Notes

You can replace the Pigeon Peas with a can of corn, drained for Arroz con Maíz.