And the journey begins! My Abuelita (grandmother) is from Nicaragua and after many years of wanting to do this, I’m finally going through all of her recipes and really trying to get them to taste just like hers. The problem?
She hardly measured anything, so it’s been a wild process of calling her and going back and forth on how she makes things, constantly texting my mom and sister asking questions, searching traditional Nicaraguan recipes online…..but here we are. With the Gallo Pinto, at least!
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Gallo Pinto is a traditional Central American dish, but Nicaraguans always use the little red beans instead of black beans. I grew up eating this (I kid you not) every single day, and now I’m excited to finally start sharing it with my own family and kiddos!
It’s SO good, the easiest, simplest weeknight meal, and I love that it’s also wholesome and budget-friendly. If you don’t want to fry the cheese (which can be Queso Panela or Queso Fresco), you can always just crumble it over the beans and rice. Really add anything you want….it’s delish!
NICARAGUAN GALLO PINTO:
– 1/4 cup avocado oil + 2 Tablespoons (divided)
– 2 very ripe plantains (peeled and thinly sliced at an angle into 1/4” pieces, about 2 cups)
– pinch of flaky salt
– 1/2 cup diced onion (or about 1/2 onion)
– 1 medium diced bell pepper (about 1 1/2 cups)
– 3 cups cooked beans (drained, a little liquid is ok!)
– 1 teaspoon salt
– 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
– 2 1/2 cups cooked rice
– 3/4 cup queso fresco (panela or cuajada)
– 1 large avocado (sliced)
https://www.jaroflemons.com/gallo-pinto/