This dish goes by a few different names, depending on which part of Cuba your family came from, but in my household we always called it congri. Congri is one of the few Cuban specialties that is traditionally vegan, although some restaurants add pork fat, so always ask and check. This dish, where you cook the beans and the rice together, results in a greyish rice with black beans. “Gris” means grey in Spanish and “con” means with, so you can see how they got the name. This is a shortcut recipe using canned black beans, instead of boiling dried beans yourself for several hours as is the traditional method, which will result in a lighter color rice, but is equally delicious in half the time.

I love this dish. You simply must serve it with fried sweet plantains, or platanos maduros as we call them. Goya makes a frozen package that goes from freezer to table in 4 minutes and they’re every bit as delicious as ones you’d fry yourself without all the hassle. This is a great side for holiday meals or great as a main dish any night of the week. I hope you enjoy making this and add it to your regular menu. Buen provecho!



