Moros y cristianos, a vegetarian recipe from Cuba

Name: Moros y cristianos
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Cuba
Ingredients: 400 g cooked black beans, plus 500 ml of their liquid; 350 g long-grain rice, rinsed; 1 large onion, finely diced; 1 green pepper, finely diced; 5 garlic cloves, chopped; 4 tbsp olive oil; 2 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp dried oregano; 2 bay leaves; 1 tbsp wine vinegar; 1½ tsp salt; Black pepper

Method

Heat the oil in a heavy casserole and sweat the onion and pepper over medium heat for 8 minutes, without letting them colour.
Add the garlic, cumin and oregano and stir for 1 minute to wake up the spices.
Pour in the vinegar and scrape the base of the pot to lift the caramelised bits.
Add the drained beans, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Mash a few beans against the pot to give the dish body.
Pour in 500 ml of the bean liquid, topped up with water if needed, bring to the boil, then stir in the rice all at once.
Simmer uncovered until the liquid is almost absorbed, about 10 minutes, then cover and cook on the lowest heat for 18 minutes.
Remove the bay leaves, rest covered for 10 minutes, and fluff with a fork before serving.

The name recalls the Moors and Christians of medieval Spain, black beans and white rice cooked in one pot. If you use tinned beans, top up their liquid with water to reach the exact volume.

The techniques this recipe uses

Drain and rinse
Canning liquid clouds a sauce and salts it blind: rinse until the water runs clear.
Sweat the aromatics
Medium heat, no browning: the onion should turn translucent and sweet, not toasted.

Frequently asked questions

Why use the beans' cooking liquid rather than water?

It is what colours the rice and gives it the black bean flavour: without that liquid you get white rice mixed with beans, not moros y cristianos. With tinned beans, top up their liquid with water to reach exactly the 500 ml called for.

My rice came out sticky or pasty. What went wrong?

The rice must be rinsed first to wash off surface starch, and the ten-minute covered rest before forking it through is essential. Do not open the pot during the eighteen minutes over very low heat: every peek lets out the steam the rice needs.

Is the vinegar essential in the sofrito?

It serves both to deglaze the pot, lifting the caramelised bits from the onion and pepper, and to balance the richness of the beans. One spoonful is enough and its sharpness cooks away. Lime juice can stand in, with a slightly fruitier result.

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Moros y cristianos

Method

The techniques this recipe uses

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Nutrition per serving

Frequently asked questions

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