Every time I visit my abuelita in her little apartment on the 14th floor in urban San Juan, Puerto Rico, I’m greeted with a big batch of arroz y habichuelas warming on the stove. Whether my flight gets in at midnight or the middle of the day, you can count on a dish being served.

My grandmother and I are both ‘a pinch of that’ or ‘a handful of this’ type of cooks, so forgive my best guesses at measurements. Trust your tongue. 

Ingredients

2 cups white rice

4 cups water

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

A few garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 cups sweet peppers, chopped

1 sweet potato (or calabaza)

1 cup Vegetable broth

15.5oz pink / red kidney beans

Cilantro (I like a lot, but about 1 cup)

Salt, pepper, and adobo seasoning to taste

 Before the beans, start your rice

- Bring 4 cups of water to a boil 

- Add rice (make sure to rinse the rice first!)

- Once the water comes back to boil, bring the temp to low and cover 

- Cook for 20 min

- Take off heat and let sit covered for 10 min

For beans:
In a large pot, sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat.
Stir in tomato paste.
Add sweet potato and sweet peppers.
Pour in the vegetable broth and mix together.
Let cook for ~5 minutes
Add beans
Mix together, bring the temperature down to low, cover and let simmer for 30 minutes
Add cilantro, let simmer for another 10 minutes or so
Taste and add salt / pepper to your liking

Serve over rice :)

¡Gracias Alexandra, fue delicioso!