{"id":30089,"date":"2022-12-18T21:56:23","date_gmt":"2022-12-18T21:56:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/familiakitchen.com\/?p=30089"},"modified":"2023-02-02T01:48:07","modified_gmt":"2023-02-02T01:48:07","slug":"belize-red-beans-and-rice-a-sunday-tradition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/familiakitchen.com\/es\/belize-red-beans-and-rice-a-sunday-tradition\/","title":{"rendered":"Belice Frijoles Rojos y Arroz, una Tradici\u00f3n Dominical"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Belize red rice and beans are so traditional and so loved in her country, the dish is synonymous with Sundays, says Maggie Alfaro, who now lives in the Chicago area. This family-famous recipe is from Maggie and her sister Maria Chan, who lives in Belize City, Belize. Maria is nicknamed Coty, and some of you might recognize her as the cook whose recipe won our Familia Kitchen Mole Recipe Contest<\/a> last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two sisters reunited recently, when Maria came to visit Maggie in Illinois. They took the opportunity to piece together their memories of how to make this family recipe. What makes Belize\u2019s take on beans and rice different from other Latino countries\u2019 versions is its use of coconut milk and oil, Maria explains. This fruit is native to Belize and a defining ingredient in so many of its traditional dishes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cuisine of Belize reflects the country\u2019s colonial history<\/a>, and is a melding of Indigenous, Spanish and British influences. Spain was the first outsider to arrive in the 1500s, bringing foods like rice, chicken and garlic aboard their ships. But it was the Brits who build the first settlement of what came to be called British Honduras. The name changed to Belize in 1973, and the U.K. ruled until 1981. Different dishes reflecting the country\u2019s complex history emerged but the undisputed meal that is the signature of Belize is, of course, red beans and rice. Here is Maggie and Maria\u2019s make-every-Sunday version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Essential Flavor of Coconut<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201dIt\u2019s all about the coconut,\u201d Maria says. \u201dBack home in Belize, we use pure coconut, from a tree. We don\u2019t use coconut from a can. Everybody has a coconut in their yard, and we have a lot in the market. Coconut is everywhere. We grate it and then we wet it in warm water and squeeze the milk out of it. That\u2019s what we use. But of course, here in the States, it\u2019s not quite as easy to find a coconut to crack for coconut milk.\u201d When there are no coconut palm trees to be found, Maggie reports she uses canned coconut milk with delicious results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She and her sister have been eating and making this rice and beans recipe their whole lives, says Maria. \u201dI learned to make it as a child, from my relatives,\u201d she says. And now she and Maggie\u2014like good Belizeans\u2014makes this dish \u201cevery Sunday,\u201d says Maria. \u201dThat\u2019s a religious staple dish of ours. Every Sunday. If you don\u2019t eat rice and beans on Sunday, you don\u2019t have have a good Sunday.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This dish is a must-make part of the midday meal families sit down to after church. \u201dWe\u2019re not like you,\u201d Maggie explains. In Belize, \u201dwe eat our main meal in the afternoon, 12 or 1 pm. And this is what we eat: Belizean rice and beans, always with stewed chicken, potato salad and fried ripe plantains. Everybody loves it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who loves it the most in her family? \u201cMy sons,\u201d Maria laughs. \u201cThey love it so much.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make this dish, you first cook the beans, from scratch usually. Using dried, small red beans is key, says Maria. You then make the rice with coconut and mix in the stewed beans, with some of their liquid. Try it and taste for yourself why Belizean beans and rice are so easy, traditional and delicious\u2014our favorite kind of abuela cooking and family recipe!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ready to Make Belize Red Beans and Rice?<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Belize Red Beans and Rice<\/h2>\n\n
\n \t\t \t\t\tRecipe by Maggie Alfaro and Maria \u201dCoty\u201c Chan<\/span>\n \t\t\n
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  • <\/li>
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  • <\/li><\/ul>4.5<\/small> from<\/small> 43<\/small> votes<\/small><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/em>\n\t\t\t<\/div> <\/div>\n\t\t
    \n Cuisine: Belizean<\/mark><\/span> <\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t
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    <\/span>Servings<\/span>

    10 to 12<\/p>servings<\/span><\/div>

    <\/span>Prep time<\/span>

    10<\/p>minutes<\/span><\/div>

    <\/span>Cooking time<\/span>

    2<\/p>hours <\/span><\/div><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n \n\t\t\n\t\t\t

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    Ingredients<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
    • <\/span>

      3<\/span> cups<\/span> red beans, dried, small<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      10<\/span> cups<\/span> water, for beans<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      1\/2<\/span> white onion, diced<\/span><\/p><\/li>

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      3<\/span> cloves<\/span> garlic, minced<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      2<\/span> Tbsp<\/span> cilantro<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      1\/2<\/span> can<\/span> coconut milk (or freshly grated coconut)<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      3<\/span> Tbsp<\/span> coconut oil<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      6<\/span> cups<\/span> rice, long grain<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      8<\/span> cups<\/span> water, for rice<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      2<\/span> tsp<\/span> salt, or to taste, divided<\/span><\/p><\/li>

    • <\/span>

      1\/2<\/span> tsp<\/span> black pepper, or to taste, divided<\/span><\/p><\/li><\/ul>\n \t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t

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      Directions<\/h3>\n\t\t\t
      • Wash the beans and throw away any stones or discolored beans. <\/li>
      • Place the beans, onion, garlic and cilantro in a large pot. Add 10 cups of water (you want the water to cover the beans by 2 inches).<\/li>
      • Bring the beans to a boil and then lower the heat. Simmer until the beans burst, about 1 \u00bd to 2 hours. Season with salt and pepper.<\/li>
      • When the beans are done, start making the rice. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. <\/li>
      • In a separate large pot, add the rice, \u00bd cup of the cooked beans, \u00be cup of the liquid from the bean pot, coconut milk, coconut oil, 8 cups water, 1 tsp salt and 1\/4 tsp of black pepper. Pro tip: To know if you have the right amount of rice to liquid ratio, insert your index finger in the pot. The liquid should reach and not go above the first line of your index finger, says Maria. (That\u2019s about 1 inch).<\/li>
      • Bring the rice to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cover the pot. <\/li>
      • Let the rice cook for 30 minutes. Lift the lid. If the liquid is fully absorbed, it is done. <\/li>
      • Fluff the rice. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed. Serve hot.<\/li><\/ul>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t
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        Notes<\/h3>\n\t\t\t
        • Do not add salt to your beans until after they have boiled, says Maggie. Or they won\u2019t burst.<\/li><\/ul>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n \n\t\n\t\t\t