Casamiento

Ingredients

Base

• 400 gcooked red silk beans, with their liquid
• or 400 g cooked red kidney beans
• 600 gcooked white rice, preferably day-old
• 150 mlbean cooking liquid

To fry

• 1onion, finely chopped
• 1green pepper, chopped
• 3garlic cloves, crushed
• 4 tablespoonsoil
• 1 teaspoonground cumin
• salt and black pepper

Sometimes added

• a handful of chopped coriander
• 1chilli, chopped
• 1 teaspoonWorcestershire sauce

To serve

• fried eggs
• fried plantain
• crema or soured cream
• queso fresco

Directions

1. Cook the rice the day before if you can. Spread it on a tray to cool quickly. Cool cooked rice quickly and refrigerate it within an hour. Do not leave it standing out overnight.
2. Use beans you have cooked from dried if you can. If using tinned beans, keep the liquid from the tin. Rinse them only if the liquid is very salty. Heat the oil in a wide heavy pan. Use a good amount of oil for this. Casamiento is a fried dish and needs it.
3. Add the chopped onion and green pepper. Cook them for about eight minutes. They should soften and start to colour. Add the crushed garlic and the cumin. Cook them for one minute until fragrant. Add the beans with a little of their liquid. Turn the heat up to medium high. Fry them for about four minutes.
4. Mash a few of them against the pan. The liquid should reduce and go sticky. Break up the cold rice with your fingers. Add it to the pan all at once. Use a lifting and turning motion. Do not stir it hard or the grains break. Add the remaining bean liquid gradually.
5. Add enough liquid to colour the rice through. The grains should turn a purplish brown. Add liquid a splash at a time. Let it fry undisturbed for two minutes. Give it about eight minutes in total.
6. Season it well with salt and black pepper. Stir in chopped coriander if you want it. Add a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Taste it and adjust the salt to suit. Serving it is done hot with eggs.
7. Spoon it onto plates while it is still hot. It keeps three days refrigerated. Fry it again to reheat rather than microwaving.

Technique

• The name means marriage and describes the union of rice and beans, the two Salvadoran staples, on one plate.
• Related dishes are eaten across Central America and the Caribbean under names including gallo pinto and moros y cristianos.

Substitutions

• Red kidney beans or black beans stand in for Salvadoran red silk beans.
• Freshly cooked rice can be used but must be cooled and dried out first.

Variations

• Some households add chopped chilli or Worcestershire sauce.
• A version made with black beans is common in some families.
• Gallo pinto in Costa Rica and Nicaragua is the same idea with different seasoning.

History

Rice and beans cooked together; the name means marriage, describing the union of the two staples on the plate.

Frequently asked questions

What is Casamiento?

Casamiento is a salad & side from El Salvador: rice and beans fried together, everyday staple. Rice and beans cooked together; the name means marriage, describing the union of the two staples on the plate.

How long does Casamiento take to make?

Casamiento takes 15 minutes of preparation and 20 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Casamiento?

Yes, within limits. Red kidney beans or black beans stand in for Salvadoran red silk beans. Freshly cooked rice can be used but must be cooled and dried out first.

What is the most important thing to get right in Casamiento?

Cook the rice the day before if you can. Spread it on a tray to cool quickly. Cool cooked rice quickly and refrigerate it within an hour. Do not leave it standing out overnight.