One of the most commonly served dishes in the Caribbean and Latin America is Rice and Beans. This dish is known in the Dominican Republic as moro. It is a combination of Rice and Beans cooked together. It can be perfectly paired with a delicious piece of chicken or any other protein. However, if you are a vegetarian some Adobo Mushrooms will taste amazing with it.
Moro is one of the go-to dishes in the Dominican Republic. I can’t remember any family gathering that did not serve Moro. Although Moro has lots of popularity in the Dominican Republic, it is not unique to the country. You can find many variations of this dish in other parts of the world. For instance, in Cuba, it is usually made using black beans and is known as Congri or Moro Negro. In Puerto Rico, it is made with Gandules and is called Arroz con Gandules. Jamaica’s version of rice and beans is made with kidney beans but is referred to as Rice and Peas.
Today, I’m sharing my version of Rice And Beans( Moro de Habichuelas).
Ingredients you’ll need:
- White Rice
- Pinto Beans (or any beans of your preference)
- oil ( I like to use Avocado oil)
- Tomato Sauce or Tomato Paste *if using tomato paste use 1 tablespoon.
- Salt
- Adobo goya (optional)*if you decide not to use adobo I suggest increasing the salt to 2 teaspoons
- Black pepper
- Cilantro
- A combination of Red and Green Peppers
- Water
*you can substitute all the seasoning ingredients with my homemade Sofrito.
How to Make Moro( Rice and Beans)
The first step to making a Moro is the seasoning. I blend garlic, salt, pepper, and a little bit of adobo goya (optional). I like to use my mortar and pestle to create a garlicky base seasoning. What I love about this kitchen tool is that it intensifies the flavors. You can definitely use a garlic press and add the other ingredients. I also recommend making my sofrito to add more traditional flavors to this recipe.
Once you’ve made the seasoning, place a cast aluminum Caldero on the stove at a medium-high temperature. Then, add oil and saute the garlic paste or sofrito.
Next, add the beans. You can make this recipe using fresh beans however I decided to use canned beans for an easy no-fuss version. * When using canned beans, my suggestion is to rinse the beans.
Now add the peppers, cilantro, and tomato sauce, keep stirring.
Then, add water and when it comes to a boil add the rice. Stir occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot (caldero) and burn.
Once the rice has absorbed all the water and starts to dry up, bring the heat to low. Cover the pot and cook for about 25 minutes or until rice is soft.
Serve warm. Pair this Moro with a protein of your choice. I decided to pair it with my adobo chicken.
Below you will find an easily printable recipe card. Please, feel free to leave any comments and/or suggestions. I would be delighted to hear from you all.
Until the next one…
Rice and Beans (Moro de Habichuelas) Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups white rice ( I like to rinse the rice) Optional
- 2 to 4 garlic cloves (mashed)
- 1 (15.5 oz) can pinto beans
- 2 to 3 tablespoon oil ( I use Avocado oil)
- 1 cup tomato sauce (or tomato paste about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- fresh cilantro (whole or chopped)
- 1/3 cup red and green peppers (diced)
- 2 1/2 cups of water
- 1 teaspoon adobo goya (optional)
Instructions
How to Make Moro( Rice and Beans)
- The first step to making a Moro is the seasoning. I blend garlic, salt, pepper and a little bit of adobo goya (optional).
I like to use my mortar and pestle to create a garlicky base seasoning. What I love about this kitchen tool is that it intensifies the flavors. You can definitely use a garlic press and add the other ingredients. I also recommend making my sofrito to add more traditional flavors to this recipe. - Once you’ve made the seasoning, place an aluminum pan on the stove at a medium-high temperature.
- Then, add oil and saute the garlic paste or sofrito. Proceed to add the beans. You can make this recipe using fresh beans however I decided to use canned beans for an easy no-fuss version. * When using canned beans, my suggestion is to rinse the beans.
- Next, add the peppers, cilantro, and tomato sauce, keep stirring.
- Add water and when it comes to a boil add the rice. Stir occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burn.
- Once the rice has absorbed all the water and starts to dry up, bring the heat to low. Cover the pot and cook for about 25 minutes or until rice is soft.
Notes
Nutrition
*Nutritional Disclaimer: Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it and do not forget to tag your pictures to #asimpletweakrecipes on Instagram. Make sure to pin it in your favorite Pinterest board 🙂
More Spanish-Style Recipes:
Hi Evelyn, and thank you so much for sharing such tasty recipes with everyone. I just ran across your Website via Pinterest snd I would love to make the Moro but with habichuelas rojas (red beans). However, what would be the measurements for let’s say 4 tazas (cups) of arroz (rice). We Latinos tend to have lots of family and/or very hearty appetites… lol Thank you much in advance 😉
Hi Kat, I usually do 2 cans of beans for that amount of rice. A cool thing about my recipe card at the end of the post is that you can adjust the amount of the ingredients accordingly with the servings you need. Just place the mouse on the red number of servings and a grey slider will appear. This tool will adjust not only the amount of rice but all of the other ingredients. Yes, I agree with you we Latinos have either a big family and/or a huge appetite:). Please let me know how it turns out and if you want to hashtag your creation on Instagram use #asimpletweakrecipe
I hope this helps and let me know if you have any other questions!