!: How To Make "Bandeja Paisa" - Another Classic Colombian Dish!

If you are into Colombian cuisine, chances are you know what a "Bandeja paisa" is. This typical dish, originally from the department of Antioquia, is an emblem of Colombian gastronomy and is popular in all regions of the country; every typical Colombian restaurant (even abroad!) you visit will have this item listed on the menu. It is a simple yet big and tasty dish, which leaves you very satisfied!

Now, while its preparation is not complex, it is mostly prepared at restaurants and not that often in households, given that you have to be cooking a lot of different ingredients separately, which is a bit complicated. If you would like to try out this great recipe at home, you would need at least a gas stove with 4 or 5 "bases" on it for cooking several ingredients at the same time. If you have a rice cooker and a pressure cooker, that is definitely a plus (if not highly recommended). This is what you will need in order to prepare your very own Bandeja Paisa (for six people):

Utensils:

- Pressure cooker and rice cooker OR two saucepans

- Another pair of saucepans

- Bowls in order to store already cooked ingredients, or more saucepans

- Two or more pans

Ingredients:

- 3 cups of red beans

- 3 cups of white or brown rice

- 2 lb of ground beef

- 2 lb of pork rinds, cut in pieces

- 6 eggs

- 6 arepas, if possible

- 2 green plantains, cut in long slices without the skin

- 3 avocados, cut in halves

- 2 tomatoes, chopped

- 1 red bulb onion, chopped

- 1 clove of garlic, crushed

- 4 spoonfuls of cooking oil

- Water

- Salt to taste

Preparation:

In order to assemble a full Bandeja Paisa, all the previous ingredients have to be cooked separately, and then be served together once they are all ready. In order to save time, cook the most items that your stove bases can handle; that is, if you have a stove with 4 bases, cook 4 items at the same time. Once one of them are ready, place its saucepan apart and start cooking another item in that base. I will illustrate now how to prepare each portion of the Bandeja Paisa:

Hogao: This seasoning, also called "guiso" will be used to give flavor to the red beans. To prepare it just put a spoonful of oil, the chopped tomatoes and onion, and the crushed garlic in a pan. Add a bit of salt. Sauté the mix for 10-15 minutes, and your Hogao will be ready.

Red beans: The night before you start cooking, place the red beans in a sauce pan or a bowl, and cover them in water. Put a lid on it, and let the beans soak overnight. Throw away the water where the beans where being soaked, put the soaked beans in a saucepan, and fill it with new water. Bring the beans with water to a boil, and then turn the heat to medium. After one and a half hours or so add the hogao to the mix, and let the beans cook for another hour or more. If you have a pressure cooker, you can prepare the red beans in a fraction of the time! Just place the water and the beans in your cooker, and cook for 45 minutes. Once the beans are ready, add the hogao and mix well!

Ground beef: Just sauté it with a spoonful of oil or butter until it turns dark brown. Add a bit of salt.

Rice: To cook the rice just put it in a saucepan, and fill it with 6 cups of water. If you want to use brown rice, use 10 cups of water instead. Add a bit of salt and a spoonful of oil. Bring the mix to a boil and then turn the heat to medium fire just like you did with the beans. Let it cook for an hour or so until the water dries up and the rice becomes tender. If you have a rice cooker, the process is very similar; you put the rice, the water, and let the cooker do its job for 45 minutes. The advantage it gives you is that you don't have to occupy an extra base on your stove!

Pork rinds: Sauté them in their own grease with a low flame for 30-40 minutes or so. Add salt.

Eggs: Fry each egg separately, or fry them together (without scrambling them) and separate them once they are done.

Arepas: These might be difficult to find if you don't have a Colombian store around. You can just skip getting arepas if you wish. Corn tortillas might be a good replacement, though.

Plantains: Sauté the plantain slices with a spoonful of oil until they become golden-colored. Quick and easy!
Avocados: Just serve them with the rest of the ingredients... and add a bit of salt to them!

Congratulations! If you had the patience of cooking all these ingredients, then all that is left to do is to serve a bit of each in each plate, and enjoy one of the most emblematic dishes from Colombia!