Moros y Cristianos (dish)

Moros y Cristianos

Cuban ropa vieja served with moros y cristianos and vegetables.
Course	Side dish
Place of origin	Cuba
Region or state	Caribbean
Main ingredients	Rice; beans
Variations	Congri

"Moros" (frijoles negros) on the left and "Cristianos" (arroz blanco) on the right

Moros y Cristianos is a traditional Cuban dish served both in homes and in restaurants. It is a form of rice and peas, a dish found throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

Etymology

Moros y Cristianos means 'Moors and Christians'. Moros refers to the black beans, and Cristianos to the white rice. The name of the dish is a reference to the Arab Muslim governance of the Iberian Peninsula from the early 8th century through the Reconquista (15th century).

Preparation

Onions, garlic, and bell pepper are commonly used as a sofrito. To this sofrito are added the white rice and pre-boiled black beans, as well as the water that the beans were boiled in. Other seasonings such as oregano and bay leaf are often added to the dish to give additional flavor.

Moros y Cristianos are different from simple arroz con frijoles in that the beans and rice are cooked in the same pot instead of separately. Congrí is another term for the dish, but is used more commonly to refer to the similar dish with red beans that is traditionally eaten on the eastern part of the island.

• 
  Moros y cristianos served with pork, at a restaurant in Cienfuegos, Cuba.

See also

• Caribbean cuisine
• Cuban cuisine
• Gallo pinto
• Frijoles negros
• List of legume dishes
• Pabellón criollo
• Rice and beans
• Rice and peas