Arroz a la cubana (Cuban-style rice) is a Spanish dish consisting of a fried egg, rice, and tomato sauce and it is very popular in the Philippines and parts of South America. This is a great weeknight meal since it’s simple and quick to prepare.
When I saw this dish on Skip to Malou, I had to try making it immediately as I have a weak spot for dishes with (runny) fried egg on top of rice. My children liked it because ground meat is easy for them to eat and digest and it’s tomato-based. Not to mention there are bananas and raisins in it for additional flavors!
I adapted the original recipe by adding the ground pork, not just ground beef, for flavor and texture. I also added mushrooms and more veggies. It might not be “authentic” but I made sure all the good nutrition is in one dish. I can’t emphasize enough that it’s VERY easy to cook. I hope you give it a try!
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Arroz a la Cubana
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic (sliced)
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ onion (chopped)
- ½ lb ground beef
- ½ lb ground pork
- ½ carrot (chopped)
- ½ red bell pepper (sliced)
- ½ zucchini (chopped)
- 6 mushrooms (sliced)
- 1 can tomato sauce (15 oz, 425 g)
- 1 plantain (sliced; I use a firm yellow banana)
- 3-4 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell)
- 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp raisins
- 4 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice
- parsley
Instructions
- In a large frying pan, heat olive oil and add garlic and bay leaf until fragrant.
- Add the onion and sauté until soft.
- Add the meat and stir until the meat is cooked through.
- Add the carrot, bell pepper, zucchini, and mushrooms and sauté until soft.
- Add tomato sauce and bring it to boil. Using a skimmer, skim off the scum and fat. This is really important step to get a refine taste so please don’t skip. After finished, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until vegetables are soft.
- Meanwhile, you can fry plantain (banana) and eggs to your liking.
- Add oyster sauce, soy sauce and raisins and stir well.
- Serve rice on a plate/bowl and pour the sauce over. Top it with fried bananas and a sunny side up egg.
