Could this be the best rice you’ve ever had? I sure think so! Arroz con Gandules, or yellow rice & Pigeon Peas, is a staple in Puerto Rican cooking and has been a constant at any of my family gatherings growing up (and boy, we had a lot of parties!).

Every day after school I’d hop off the bus and head over to my grandmother’s place, where the smell of her rice would fill the lobby all the way from her 3rd story condo. Friends, family & neighbors would go full-on Garfield-mode, gravitating towards the intoxicating aroma which would lead them to Abuela Naty’s front door. She cooked for an army and loved to share her food with others, so it was not a surprise that she would make extra plates and have me or my brother deliver it to the neighbors. I’m convinced if she ever wanted to, she could have started a cult full of Florida retirees bowing to a giant pot of this rice in between games of shuffleboard & dominoes.

Every Caribbean culture makes this dish a little differently, but the key ingredient is definitely the sofrito! You can’t make this recipe without sofrito or it ends up being just another mediocre rice dish. You can buy sofrito in a jar but we all know that a grandmother's homemade recipe is always going to be better than any store bought version.

In the spirit of my grandmother, Abuela Naty, I hope you not only enjoy this recipe, but you share it with friends and family!

Notes & Substitutions:

Equipment: This recipe can be made in a pot or rice cooker, but since I’ve purchased a pressure cooker/air fryer combo the pressure cooker function is my preferred cooking method.
Pigeon Peas: Pigeon Peas, legumes with a bit of a nutty flavor that is often paired with a grain and can be found canned or dry in Latin & Indian markets as well as online or just about anywhere in South Florida.
Veggies: Traditionally, this rice calls for diced ham, however, it is just as delicious sans ham. Instead, try it with mixed veggies. It’s delicious and was a way to sneak in some vegetables from a picky eater like my younger self. If you can’t add in fresh veggies, I would recommend using frozen rather than canned so that the veggies don’t come out mushy.
Olives: Typically, I am not a fan of olives. That’s an understatement. I pretty much hate olives. I know...crazy, right? Even though I normally don’t care for them in everyday life, I’ve discovered that omitting them completely makes a HUGE difference in the taste of my favorite Puerto Rican dishes. Personally, I don’t think it’s worth compromising the flavor of the entire dish for an ingredient I can easily pick out and slide on over to the place of my olive-loving counterpart.
Sofrito & Cilantro: Normally I try to include substitutions for common allergies & intolerances in my recipes. However, if you are part of the cilantro-intolerant population, I’m not sure I have substitutions this time. I’m sorry...I get it. My counterpart is also part of the no-cilantro club. The good news is, you only use a few dollops of sofrito in this recipe and has not been a problem for my very cilantro sensitive counterpart.
Adobo Seasoning: Adobo can be salty if you add too much. If you have never used this seasoning before, I would recommend starting with a smaller amount and add more based on your personal taste.

Ingredients:

A mug of parboiled rice (or about a handful per person)
2 mugs of water (water to rice should be a 2:1 ratio)
A can of Gandules/Pigeon Peas (rinsed & drained)
A handful of Pimento Stuffed Spanish Olives (with a little splash of the olive juice)
A palm full of Adobo Seasoning
½ packet of Sazon Seasoning
About 2 dollops of Sofrito
A dollop of tomato paste
About a smidge of cooking oil

Instructions:

In a pan on medium-high heat, drizzle a little bit of cooking oil to your pot or pan. If you are using a pressure cooker/air fryer, you can do this in the same pot by using the sautee function.
Add in the Adobo, Sazon & sofrito to your heated oil, stirring frequently so that it does not burn. As the sofrito cooks, the aroma will become very apparent, which means it is ready for the rest of the ingredients.
Once ready, add in the rice, olives, tomato paste, Pigeon Peas & water. Stir so that the tomato paste is mixed in.
If using a pressure cooker, seal and set on high for 4 minutes and let pressure release naturally.
If using a rice cooker, cover and set to cook. No need to stir mid-cooking. It should take about 30 minutes until complete or until most of the water is evaporated & rice is tender (not chewy or mushy).
If cooking in a pot & stovetop, add the water in before the rice. Bring water to a boil & add in rice. Turn down heat to a simmer, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, gently stir, cover and let simmer again. After 20 minutes, check to see if rice is tender. Once rice is cooked, remove from heat and let sit covered for 15-20 minutes.