last night mom went out so i had to cook dinner.i rummaged through the freezer and i found a pack of ground beef, so i decided to make arroz ala cubana.
its one of my favorite dishes, and a personal comfort food.i just cant have enough of it! so anyway, i went to the market to buy some saba (plantains) while i left the ground beef to thaw out. saba (plantains) is the perfect side dish for arroz ala cubana because it gives that sweetness that counteracts the tartiness of the tomato sauce in the cubana.
anyway, here is the recipe:
arroz ala cubana:
250 grams lean ground beef
1 medium carrot, diced
2 medium potatoes, diced
3/4 cups frozen green peas
3 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 250 gm pack tomato sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce + 1 tbsp more
salt & pepper to taste
2-3 tsp of sugar
raisins (about a handful)
water (or beefstock)
grated quickmelt cheese, for topping
oil
fried saba (plantain)
in a saucepan over medium heat, saute the garlic and onions in oil, until garlic is golden brown and onion becomes slightly translucent. add the beef and saute until browned, seasoning with salt and pepper, plus 1 tbsp of oyster sauce. pour in the tomato sauce, stir and allow to simmer for 2 minutes, while stirring occasionally. next add the water, just enough to cover the beef (i used about a cup of water) and allow to simmer, covered for 3 minutes. add sugar, and the remaining oyster sauce. while simmering, add in the diced potatoes, the diced carrots, and frozen green peas . season with salt, pepper, and simmer for another 10-15 minutes or until sauce is reduced to 1/3 and vegetables are cooked . put in a serving dish and top with grated cheese. serve hot along with fried saba (plantains).
now this goes perfect with garlic friend rice. i did make some, but apparently i didn’t make enough. my stepdad ate all of the fried rice and i was left with steamed white rice. you may choose to omit the raisins, as i did, if u don’t want it to be too sweet. if u do use raisins limit the sugar to 2 tsps. but i added some raisins for the photo, just for effect. you may also add some corn for added texture. you may pop it in the microwave just before serving to melt the cheese, if you like.
enjoy!
thanks for the recipe… will try this one soon…
no prob gita =) hope your husband likes it .let me know how yours turn out =)