# Congri - Cuban Rice



## gus030 (Apr 10, 2009)

Does anyone have a good recipe for Congri?

I had this while I was in Puerto Rico, it is a Cuban style rice and black beans where the rice is blackish in color.  It was delicious and I'd like to try to recreate it.


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## jfield (Apr 10, 2009)

Hi, here's a link to a basic recipe:  Cooks.com - Recipe - Congri (Rice & Black Beans)  And here's one to a series of videos that will walk you through the process. Making Congri: Cuban Rice & Beans Recipe | Expert Village Videos   I've never made this before, but it sounds fantastic!


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## gus030 (Apr 11, 2009)

I was hoping someone had a homemade or family recipe...

That one recipe uses canned beans which I am not fond of and I am not a fan of that website, the videos are too short and have to keeping clicking on the next ones.  Also the girl in the video uses the same water the beans had been soaking in - i thought that was a no-no

Anyway thanks


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## jfield (Apr 12, 2009)

I would suggest you take dry beans, soak and cook them w/traditional spices and then use that in the recipe.  Using the same water as the beans have been in is only a "no no" if you're trying to reduce sodium.  After all, if that liquid were inedible or "bad" in some way, the beans wouldn't be soaking in it. 

I think that if you look at several recipes on the web, you should be able to find some elements common to all of them and create your own recipe.  With "national" dishes like this, most cooks from that country give it their own unique spin anyway.  I think the template here is "cook black beans with bacon and rice and some spices."  How you choose to fill in that template is up to you.

You might also want to check some Puerto Rican or Cuban cooking sites to see how the folks who originated the dish do it.  Best of luck with this.  I can see why you'd want to make it; it sounds lovely.


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