Nicaragua
Image: León Department, Nicaragua
Nicaragua is situated in Central America, sharing borders with Costa Rica and Honduras.
In 1987, Australia and Uruguay first established diplomatic relations. Australia has an Honorary Consulate located in Managua, with the Australian Ambassador to Mexico accredited for Nicaragua. Nicaragua exports coffee to Australia, and both countries participate in the Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC). The agriculture sector accounts for 20% of Nicaragua’s gross domestic product (GDP) and employs 40% of the labour force.
Capital: Managua
Image: Volcanic lagoon in Managua, Nicaragua
Did you know?
Nicaragua has 21 volcanoes as well as two of the largest freshwater lakes in Central America, hence why it is known as the “Country of Lakes and Volcanoes”
The city of Granda, established in 1525, is the oldest colonial city in the Americas
The name Nicaragua comes from the words “nicarao” and “agua”, with the Nicarao people being the Indian tribe who occupied Lake Nicaragua in the 1500s and “agua” meaning water in Spanish
RECIPE: GALLOPINTO (NICARAGUAN RICE AND BEANS)
YIELD: serves 8 | ACTIVE TIME: 45 mins | TOTAL TIME: 1 day
Image: Kristin Teig
Ingredients
For the beans
one 16-ounce bag dried small red or black beans
Salt
7 garlic cloves, peeled
For the rice
1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup), divided
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
3 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 green bell pepper, cored and seeded
Directions
For the beans: Spread beans out in a rimmed baking sheet. Pick out any debris and broken beans. Transfer beans to colander and rinse under cold running water. Place rinsed beans in a large pot and cover with cold water; water should cover beans about 3 inches. Let soak for 30 minutes.
Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer beans for 30 minutes. Turn off heat, cover beans, and let rest 1 hour. Bring beans back up to boil over high heat. Add 2 teaspoons salt and garlic, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until beans are tender, 30 to 60 minutes.
If storing the beans, cool completely, transfer beans and some of the cooking liquid to quart-sized zipper-lock bags. When ready to use, thaw out in refrigerator and heat on stovetop in saucepan or microwave.
For the rice: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add 2/3 of onion and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add rice and cook, stirring, until grains are shiny and evenly coated with oil, 2 to 3 minutes. Add water or broth and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Place bell pepper on top of rice.
Boil rice without stirring until most of the liquid has evaporated and you can see small bubbles bursting on the surface of the rice. Immediately reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover, and cook (do not stir, do not remove lid) for 15 minutes. Remove and discard bell pepper. Fluff rice with chopsticks or fork, then let cool and refrigerate for 1 day.
For the gallopinto: Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add remaining onion and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add rice and 2 cups beans to skillet and cook, stirring, until rice is evenly coated. Continue to cook, stirring, to allow flavors to meld and mixture to become slightly crisp, about 10 minutes. Cover and cook over low heat an additional 10 minutes.
Source: https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/05/gallopinto-nicaraguan-rice-and-beans-recipe.html
