
How to make Congri (Moros y Cristianos)
What is Congri?
Let’s first start with how to say Congri. It’s pronounced con-gree. Now that we know how to say it, what is it? Congri is the combination of black beans and rice made together in the same pot. When the rice is cooked it is cooked with the same water that the black beans were cooked in. Then, when the rice and beans are cooked together the rice takes on the color of the black water creating a gray or in Spanish, gris color. This technique adds so much flavor. What I love about Congri is the addition of bacon! Traditional black beans and rice does not have bacon.
The other name Moros Y Cristianos has yet another more historical meaning for the dish. Moros y Cristianos translates to Moors and Christians. Moors represents the Muslim Moors. Christians represents the Spanish Christians. The dish in turn honors and remembers the Reconquista. The Reconquista was a long war between the Islamic Moors and the Christian Spaniards and then celebrates how they came to live together in the Iberian Peninsula.
In order to save time we are going to be using an Instant Pot. I just love using an Instant Pot for Cuban dishes because now we can have dishes that used to take hours in under an hour.
Below is a Pinterest friendly photo…