However, I live in Canada in the Greater Toronto Area and many of the actual Nicaraguan ingredients cannot be found here. So necessity being the mother of all inventions, I have tried many products available in the market that will create the Nica flavor or 99.999% close to it.
FYI: A comal is a cookware, smooth, concave griddle made from clay "barro". In this section I am using it as a common expression (Que hay en el comal?) similar to what's cooking?
Gallo Pinto 101
Gallo pinto is basically a national dish and it is eaten everyday and at any time, it can be served at breakfast, lunch or dinner or all three. Do Nicaraguan love it?
Yes we do!
Ingredients: Rice, Beans, Garlic Onions, Vegetable oil, salt.
Mix it all together and there you have it... done.. well almost.
Cook the Rice:
Cook the rice. I usually use precooked long grain white rice and for every cup of rice, I add two cups of water, a soup spoon of oil and 1/4 teaspoon of salt but salt is to your taste.
In this picture, the rice looks yellow due to lighting conditions.
Cook the Beans:
First, boil the beans until they are tender. For one cup of raw beans use 4 cups of water, add 2 cloves of garlic, add salt to taste and cook for about 45 minute until tender. Technically speaking, red small beans are used to make Gallopinto but sometimes, I use black turtle beans and it tastes just as good. Then, dice an entire onion, if you don't like onions then don't add it. Place the diced onions in a frying pan with enough oil to cover the onions, then add the cooked beans. Wait, let the beans get to know the onions for about 4 to 6 minutes. Then, slowly mixed all the ingredients: onions, beans and rice.
There, you've created Gallo Pinto
nice i know your daughter Isabella
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