La Bandera Dominicana

About This Recipe

La Bandera Dominicana (The Dominican Flag) is exactly what its name suggests: the colours of the Dominican Republic's flag represented in food. The white is arroz blanco (plain white rice), the red is habichuelas rojas (stewed red kidney beans), and the meat (pollo guisado — braised chicken, or res guisada — beef stew) adds the final element. This is not a special-occasion dish but everyday sustenance — the meal that Dominican families eat for lunch almost every day, in the same way Italians might eat pasta or Japanese people eat rice. The beans are cooked slowly with sofrito (a blend of garlic, onion, coriander, ají caballero pepper, and oregano), and the result is deeply flavoured and satisfying. Eaten with tostones (twice-fried green plantains) and a simple salad, la bandera is the heartbeat of Dominican daily life.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 400 gwhite long-grain rice
• 400 gcanned red kidney beans(with their liquid)
• 800 gbone-in chicken pieces
• 1 largeonion(half diced, half for beans)
• 5 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2 mediumtomatoes(diced)
• 1 bunchfresh coriander
• 1 tspdried oregano
• 1 tspground cumin
• 2 tbsptomato purée
• 200 mlchicken stock
• 3 tbspvegetable oil
• Salt and pepper(to taste)

Instructions

1. 1

   Marinate and braise chicken

   Rub chicken with garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper. Brown in hot oil in a heavy pan, 3–4 minutes per side. Add tomatoes, tomato purée, half the onion, and stock. Cover and simmer 30–35 minutes until chicken is tender and sauce has reduced.

2. 2

   Cook the red beans

   Sauté remaining onion in a little oil until soft. Add half the garlic, the canned beans with their liquid, and coriander stems. Simmer 20 minutes, adding water if needed, until beans are thick and saucy. Season well.

   Dominican habichuelas should be saucy, not dry — they are spooned over the rice like a gravy.

3. 3

   Cook the rice

   Rinse rice thoroughly. Bring 720 ml water to a boil with salt and 1 tbsp oil. Add rice, stir once, cover tightly, and cook on the lowest heat for 18 minutes. Remove from heat and rest 5 minutes.

4. 4

   Fry tostones (optional)

   Peel and slice green plantain into thick rounds. Fry in oil until pale gold, about 3 minutes. Remove, smash flat, then fry again until crispy and golden. Drain and salt immediately.

5. 5

   Plate

   Serve rice in the centre of a large plate. Spoon beans alongside. Add braised chicken on the other side. Tostones and a simple green salad complete the plate.

Variations

• •

  Use beef (carne guisada) instead of chicken.

• •

  Add stewed salami, a uniquely Dominican addition.

• •

  Include avocado slices for a more complete plate.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

Storage

Each component stores separately for 3–4 days. The beans and chicken improve overnight.

Frequently Asked Questions