Cuban Congri, Red Beans and Rice Cooked in One Pot

Congri (kohn-GREE) is Cuban rice and beans cooked together in one pot, and it comes out fluffy when the rice simmers in 2¾ cups of the beans’ own cooking liquid for every 2 cups of rinsed long-grain rice, with the lid going on only after the liquid has dropped below the surface. In eastern Cuba, congri means rice cooked with small red beans; made with black beans it is moros y cristianos, though plenty of Cubans, on the island and abroad, call that one congri too. Below is the red bean version for 8, with what changes if you use black or canned beans, a meatless version, and quantities for a Christmas Eve crowd.

What congri is, and how long it takes

How do you make Cuban congri? Cook 1 cup (185 g) of soaked small red beans and save the liquid. Crisp 4 oz (120 g) of bacon, soften onion, green pepper, garlic, cumin and oregano in the fat, add the beans and 2¾ cups (660 ml) of their liquid with salt, and once it boils add 2 cups of rinsed rice. Cook uncovered until steam holes appear, then cover on the lowest heat for 20 minutes. 135 minutes for 8 servings.

It is not the same as a scoop of beans spooned over white rice. Because the rice cooks in the bean liquid, every grain turns reddish brown and picks up the flavor of the beans, the bacon fat and the cumin. Expect separate grains, soft but whole beans and small crisp pieces of bacon. It is a side dish: at a Cuban Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) it sits next to roast pork, yuca with garlic mojo and a tomato salad.

How it compares with other rice and bean dishes on this site:

• Dominican moro de guandules uses pigeon peas and tomato paste, no cumin and water rather than bean liquid, and it is made for the toasted crust at the bottom.
• Venezuelan black beans and Mexican frijoles de la olla are beans served next to white rice, not cooked with it.
• Colombian coconut rice is sweet-savory and has no beans.

Time. 135 minutes with dried beans, plus the overnight soak: 70 minutes for the beans, which you can cook up to 3 days ahead, and about 50 for the sofrito and rice. With cooked or canned beans, it is about 60 minutes on the day. Medium difficulty: nothing tricky, but knowing when to cover the pot and how low to keep the heat takes attention the first time.

Ingredients, and which beans to buy

The recipe makes 8 side servings of about 1 cup, or 10 alongside several other dishes.

Red, black or canned beans

• Red beans. Cubans use small red beans; red kidney beans work too, though they are larger and take a little longer. In the UK, look for dried red kidney beans in the world foods aisle or in Caribbean shops.
• The cooking liquid is where the color comes from. That is why canned beans give a pale congri. For more color, save the liquid from one can before you rinse the beans and use it as part of the 2¾ cups, topped up with water, and cut the salt to ¾ tsp, because canning liquid is salty.
• Kidney bean safety. Raw or undercooked red kidney beans can make you sick. Boil them hard for the first 10 minutes, and never cook them in a slow cooker without that boil first: a low simmer doesn’t destroy the toxin.
• In a pressure cooker or Instant Pot. After soaking, with water covering them by about an inch (3 cm), 6 to 8 minutes at high pressure with natural release. Taste one before moving on and simmer a few minutes uncovered if they are still firm.
• Quick soak, if you forgot the night before: boil them 2 minutes, turn off the heat, cover and leave 1 hour. Discard that water and cook them as above.

There is usually liquid left over after draining. Keep it for reheating the congri or for soup.

The sofrito, with bacon and cumin

Onion, green bell pepper, garlic, cumin, oregano and bay leaf are the base. Cumin is what makes it taste Cuban: 1 tsp for 2 cups of rice comes through without taking over. If you can find ají cachucha (Caribbean sweet pepper) in a Latin market, 2 or 3 chopped add aroma. Some eastern Cuban cooks add a splash of vinegar or dry cooking wine to the sofrito.

Bacon brings fat and smoke. In the UK, smoked streaky bacon or pancetta does the same job. Many recipes also cook a ham bone or diced ham with the beans; if you do, cut the salt to ¾ tsp and taste the liquid.

The rice

Long-grain white rice (in the UK, plain long-grain, not basmati or easy-cook). Short-grain or risotto rice releases starch and turns sticky. Rinse until the water runs almost clear.

Equipment. A heavy 3 to 4 quart (3 to 4 liter) pot or Dutch oven with a tight lid; if the lid is loose, lay a sheet of foil under it. A strainer and a liquid measuring cup.

How to make congri, step by step

The beans, the day before or that morning

They are done when one squashes between two fingers with no resistance and the inside is creamy, not chalky. Underdone beans won’t finish in the rice: the rice takes 30 minutes and a firm bean needs much longer. If they split, the congri still tastes the same, just darker and less tidy.

The sofrito

Bacon goes in first, alone, over medium heat, until the fat renders: 6 to 8 minutes. The onion and pepper cook in that fat for 5 minutes without much browning, and the garlic and spices go in for the last minute, because burnt garlic turns the whole pot bitter.

The liquid and the salt check

Once the beans and liquid are in and boiling, taste it. It should be a bit saltier than soup, because the rice absorbs salt. If it tastes flat now, the congri will taste flat, and there is no even way to salt it afterward.

Uncovered until the rice shows, then covered

With the rice in, cook 8 to 10 minutes uncovered over medium heat, stirring gently every 2 minutes so nothing sticks. Cover when the liquid no longer sits on top and you can see little holes where steam escapes. Then lid on, heat to the lowest, 20 minutes without peeking. Turn off the heat, rest 5 minutes covered, and fluff with a fork.

It is ready when the grains at the top and bottom are tender but whole and there is no liquid left at the bottom. If it is firm and dry, sprinkle 2 to 3 tbsp hot water, cover and wait 5 minutes. Adding a whole cup at once makes it mushy.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

• Mushy or wet. Too much liquid, unrinsed rice, covering with liquid on top or stirring during the covered stage. To rescue it, uncover and leave 5 minutes on the lowest heat to let steam escape, without stirring.
• Hard beans in cooked rice. The beans went in undercooked. They won’t catch up in the pot.
• Firm rice, scorched bottom. Heat too high during the covered stage, or a thin pot. If it smells burnt, don’t scrape the bottom; serve the rice from the top.
• Pale. Water instead of bean liquid, or canned beans. It still tastes good; save the liquid next time.
• Bland. The liquid wasn’t tasted before the rice went in. Dissolve a little salt in 2 tbsp hot water, sprinkle it over and fold with a fork.

Allergens and heat. No heat, and kids usually like it. No gluten or dairy unless your bacon or broth contains them, so check the label. It contains pork; the meatless version is below.

Variations, meatless, black bean or for a crowd

• Meatless. Skip the bacon and use 3 tbsp (40 g) oil for the sofrito. You lose the smoke; to make up for it, raise the cumin to 1¼ tsp or add ½ tsp smoked paprika, and taste for salt. It is vegan with bean liquid or water, at about 305 kcal per serving.
• Moros y cristianos. Same recipe with 1 cup (185 g) dried black beans and their liquid. Darker and earthier.
• Quick, with canned beans. 2 cans red beans, drained, with 2¾ cups (660 ml) water or low-sodium broth and ¾ tsp salt. About 50 minutes from the sofrito on.
• Rice cooker. Make the sofrito in a skillet, move it to the rice cooker with the beans and rinsed rice, add the amount of liquid your manual gives for 2 cups of long-grain white rice and use the regular setting. A rice cooker barely evaporates anything, so don’t use the full 2¾ cups from the stovetop method.

For Christmas Eve or a crowd

A big pot loses less liquid per cup of rice, so don’t simply multiply it: start with these amounts and keep hot bean liquid nearby in case it runs dry at the end. For 24, two medium pots beat one huge one, because in an overfilled pot the bottom scorches before the top is cooked. Multiply the sofrito and salt, and taste each pot’s liquid. Cook the beans for 16 in 3 liters (about 3 quarts) of water and for 24 in 4.5 liters (about 4¾ quarts).

Plan.

• 2 or 3 days ahead. Soak and cook the beans. Cool them in their liquid and refrigerate together within 2 hours.
• The day before. Chop the onion, pepper and garlic and store them in a sealed jar in the fridge. Cut the bacon.
• 1 hour before serving. Rinse the rice and start. If it has to wait, move it to a covered dish in a low oven and check that it holds at 140°F (60°C) or above.

If you have to cook it entirely the day before, don’t cool it in the pot: spread it in shallow containers, about 2 inches (5 cm) deep, and refrigerate within 2 hours.

How to serve, store and reheat congri

Serving. Plan on 1 cup per person as a side. At Christmas it goes with slow-roasted pork, such as Cuban lechon asado with sour orange mojo or a Venezuelan pernil, with yuca and twice-fried tostones. On a weeknight, a fried egg and sliced avocado turn it into dinner.

Bacon is the priciest part of the pot; dried beans and rice cost little, and the meatless version is cheaper still.

Fridge. In a sealed container, refrigerated within 2 hours, it keeps 3 to 4 days.

Freezer. Flat bags, portioned. I use it within 2 months, because after that the rice dries out. Thaw overnight in the fridge.

Reheating. In a covered skillet or pot over low heat with 2 to 3 tbsp water or bean liquid per 2 cups, 5 to 8 minutes, turning once, until steaming and 165°F (74°C) in the center. In the microwave, covered, with 1 tbsp water per serving, in 1-minute bursts, stirring in between.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make it with leftover rice and a can of beans? You can, but it is fried rice with beans rather than congri. Crisp the bacon and sofrito, add cooked beans and cold rice and stir-fry for 5 minutes. It comes out drier and without the color.

Does congri have tomato? This eastern-style one doesn’t. Some families add 1 or 2 tbsp tomato paste to the sofrito; it turns redder and slightly sweeter, closer to Dominican moro.

Why did my black bean version come out gray instead of black? The color comes from the cooking liquid, and how dark it gets depends on how long the beans simmered. Canned beans or a lot of fresh water give a light gray rice.

Nutrition

Per serving (1/8 of the recipe, with bacon), worked out ingredient by ingredient from the quantities above:

• Calories: 335 kcal
• Protein: 11 g
• Carbohydrates: 54 g
• Fat: 8 g, of which 2 g saturated
• Fiber: 5 g
• Sugars: 2 g
• Sodium: 485 mg

The rice brings about 170 kcal per serving and the bacon about 60. Without bacon it drops to about 305 kcal and 6 g of fat. Canned beans or store-bought broth push the sodium up.

At home, rice and beans always meant Venezuelan black beans served on the side, so the first thing congri taught me was not to pour the bean liquid down the sink, because that is where the color is. Now I cook the red beans on Sunday, keep the liquid in a jar, and weeknight congri takes under an hour. Josnaisis.