Costa Rica’s national dish, Gallo Pinto translates into English as “Spotted Chicken”. This is because of the way the rice and beans are stir-fried in the skillet, creating a speckled appearance.

Gallo Pinto Recipe-

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. dried black beans
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 medium sized white or yellow onion
• ½ small red or yellow sweet bell pepper, cored and seeds removed
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups white rice
• ½ tsp. salt
• vegetable oil for sautéing
• Salsa Lizano, as a condiment (a must-have ingredient, for authentic flavor!)

Directions:

1. Cover the dried beans with water and soak overnight. Drain the beans. Place in a cooking pot and add enough fresh water to by one inch; bring to a boil. Add in the salt, cover the pot and reduce the heat to mild simmer, and cook until beans are soft – about 3 hours usually does it.
2. Drain the cooked beans through a sieve or colander over a bowl – be sure to reserve the “black water” for use later. This is what gives the rice its color and some of its flavor.
3. Finely chop the cilantro, onion, and sweet pepper, and combine together in a bowl.
4. Add 1 to 2 tbsp. of oil into a large skillet over medium-high flame and sauté the dry rice for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Now add and stir the chopped onion, sweet pepper and cilantro mixture and sauté another 2 minutes.
6. Add and stir in the chicken broth, bring to a boil, cover the skillet and reduce flame to low; simmer-cook for about 25 to 35 minutes until the rice is tender.
7. Sprinkle with a little fresh chopped cilantro just before serving. You may also want to add in a little Salsa Lizano toward the end of the cooking time.
8. Serve your Gallo Pinto while nice and hot, with some Salsa Lizano as a condiment.

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