Moros y Cristianos
Moros y Cristianos, literally "Moors and Christians", is one of Cuba's defining dishes, a combination of white rice and black beans whose name refers directly to the Spanish Reconquista — the black beans standing for the Moors, the white rice for the Christians who drove them out of the Iberian Peninsula. Brought to Cuba by Spanish settlers and adapted with local ingredients, the dish has related variants across the Caribbean, the closest being congri, specific to eastern Cuba, where the beans and rice are cooked together from the very start rather than separately. The technical detail that makes the difference is that the rice never simmers in plain water, but directly in the black bean broth, flavored by the onion, bell pepper and garlic sofrito. Mashing part of the beans against the side of the pot thickens the liquid, so the rice cooks in a concentrated stock rather than a watery one, and the result is a creamy, unified dish rather than just rice and beans served side by side.
The rice cooks directly in the bean broth
Every grain picks up the color and flavor of the black beans, instead of staying white and separate
Some of the beans are mashed against the side of the pot
Thickens the broth and binds the rice into a creamy dish, not a watery one
The onion-and-pepper sofrito cooks separately, over low heat
Builds a sweet, savory base before the rice ever enters the pot
The rice is never stirred while it cooks
Left undisturbed, the steam circulates evenly and the grains stay whole, not mushy
Ingredients 4 servings
- 800g cooked black beans (canned), drained, with 250ml of their liquid reserved
- 300g white rice
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
How to make it
- 1SOFRITO: heat the olive oil in a pot, sauté the onion and bell pepper until soft, about 5 minutes.
- 2ADD THE AROMATICS: stir in the garlic, cumin, oregano and bay leaves, cook 1 minute, until fragrant.
- 3ADD THE BEANS: pour in the black beans with their reserved liquid, bring to a simmer, mash a few spoonfuls of beans against the side of the pot to thicken the broth.
- 4ADD THE RICE: stir in the rice and enough water to cover by about 1cm, season with salt and pepper.
- 5SIMMER: cover and simmer on low heat until the rice absorbs the liquid and is tender, about 20 minutes, without stirring.
- 6REST AND SERVE: remove from heat, let rest covered 5 minutes, discard the bay leaves, fluff with a fork and serve warm.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
