Rice and beans is a dish known in many countries of America and Africa, but in Cuba, besides serving them separately, they also cook this dish by combining them together to give rise to a gastronomic gem, savored by travelers from all corners of the world and by several generations of Cubans who cleverly mix two plant-based ingredients.
A delicious cuisine
From Caribbean cuisine, the big pot simmered slowly under the hot sun for almost five centuries, Cubans share this traditional method of cooking rice and beans with various neighboring peoples, finding this dish not only in Haiti but also in Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo, the Bahamas, and other islands in the Caribbean and Central America.
In Cuba, there are slight differences regarding the spices, which are the logical result of transculturation. Don Fernando Ortiz describes the casserole as of possible, but unproven, African origin, in his essay on Afro-Cuban cuisine, first published in the Bimestre Cubano magazine in 1923.
But make no mistake, 'Congrí' is not the same as 'Moros y Cristianos,' where rice is mixed with black beans, which also seems to be a dish of African origin. 'Congrí' is mainly eaten in the eastern part of the country, while 'Moros' are more known in the western part of the archipelago.
The delicious rice
To this interesting clarification about the origin of the custom of cooking rice and beans together, we can add that usually, in the preparation of this dish, if the beans are soft and homegrown, there is no need to pre-cook them.
And an unbreakable rule is that in 'Congrí' or 'Moros y Cristianos,' the rice grains must be separate and not stuck together or soupy. Obviously, in any part of Cuba, you can find this Creole creation, but for some reason, it is known as oriental, perhaps because of the bits of pork or rather because of the pork crackling.
While in the Christmas dinner, Christmas Eve, or New Year's Eve, the differences in many countries of the world, in Cuba, it is not easy to detach from the traditional diet to include them in these Christmas feasts. These reasons, whether for identity or habits, are attributed to the strong ties of their origins, an African and Iberian combination, which quickly had its Creole stamp.
Yolanda Horruitiner, who has lived in Cuba for 70 years, makes this simple version of Congrí without pork or cumin, which is a basic ingredient in some versions.
Feel free to add either of the two to the sofrito base. This recipe uses a stove to cook both the rice and beans, although the dish can be assembled more quickly using a pressure cooker and a rice pot and making the sofrito in a separate pan, then mixing it with the rice before it is fully cooked.
