Colombian Bandeja-Style Rice and Plantain Bowl

About This Recipe

Bandeja paisa, Colombia's famously enormous mixed platter from the Antioquia region, traditionally piles beans, rice, ground beef, chorizo, egg, avocado and fried plantain onto one plate. This bowl takes the same core flavors -- smoky beans, garlicky rice, sweet plantain, charred pepper -- and scales them into a single portioned meal that's easier to make on a weeknight without cooking five separate components. The beans here are cooked Antioquia-style, simmered with a sofrito until the broth thickens slightly, which gives them a rounder, more savory flavor than plain boiled beans. Charring the peppers directly over a flame or under the broiler adds a smoky note that stands in for some of the richness lost by trimming the platter down to a bowl. Sweet plantain, pan-fried until caramelized at the edges, is non-negotiable -- it's the ingredient that makes this taste unmistakably Colombian rather than generic rice-and-beans. Layered over rice with avocado slices and a fried egg on top, this bowl keeps bandeja paisa's essential contrast of sweet, smoky, starchy and rich in a format built for a single, satisfying plate.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2 cupscooked red kidney beans
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 1onion(finely diced)
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1tomato(diced)
• 1 tspground cumin
• 2red bell peppers(halved)
• 2ripe plantains(sliced diagonally)
• 2 tbspneutral oil(for frying plantain)
• 2 cupscooked white rice
• 1avocado(sliced)
• 4eggs(fried)
• 0.25 cupcilantro(chopped)

Instructions

1. 1

   Simmer the beans

   Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion until soft, 5 minutes, then add garlic, tomato and cumin, cooking 2 more minutes.

2. 2

   Finish the beans

   Add the cooked beans with a splash of water. Simmer 10 minutes, mashing a few beans to thicken the broth slightly.

3. 3

   Char the peppers

   Broil or char pepper halves over an open flame until blackened in spots, about 8 minutes. Let cool, peel if desired, and slice.

4. 4

   Fry the plantain

   Heat neutral oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry plantain slices 2 to 3 minutes per side until deep golden and caramelized.

   Use plantains that are yellow with black spots -- fully ripe plantains fry sweeter and caramelize better than firm, greener ones.

5. 5

   Fry the eggs

   In the same skillet, fry eggs to your preference, sunny-side up or over easy.

6. 6

   Assemble the bowls

   Divide rice among bowls. Top with beans, charred peppers, fried plantain, avocado and a fried egg. Finish with cilantro.

Variations

• •

  Add crumbled chorizo or chicharron for a closer approximation of the full bandeja paisa platter.

• •

  Vegetarian: skip the egg and add extra avocado and a dollop of Colombian aji sauce.

• •

  Swap kidney beans for pinto beans, which are also common in Antioquia-style bean pots.

Storage

Store components separately in airtight containers in the fridge up to 3 days. Reheat beans and rice gently on the stovetop or microwave; fry the plantain and egg fresh, as they don't reheat well.

Frequently Asked Questions