Name: Arroz atollado (Valle-style Colombian moist rice)
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Total time: 1 h 55 min
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 570 g medium-grain white rice, dry; 60 ml neutral vegetable oil, divided; 150 g white onion, finely chopped; 2 scallions, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 600 g ripe tomatoes, chopped; 2400 ml chicken broth, hot, plus a little more only if needed; 250 g Colombian longaniza, cut into thick pieces; 800 g pork ribs, cut into small pieces; 500 g lean boneless pork, cut into bite-sized cubes; 450 g boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized cubes; 15 ml achiote seasoning or food-grade color; 600 g small yellow criolla potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces; 8 g fresh cilantro, finely chopped; 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered (optional); 300 g ripe plantain, peeled, diced and fried until golden; Ground cumin, salt and black pepper, to taste

Colombian arroz atollado with moist golden rice, pork ribs, chicken, longaniza, criolla potatoes and fried ripe plantain, served with hogao.

Region Valle del Cauca, Colombian Andes and Pacific southwest

Category Main dish; moist mixed rice

Yield 8 portions

Prep time 35 minutes

Soaking time None

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Arroz atollado (Valle-style Colombian moist rice)

A generous Valle del Cauca rice pot with pork ribs, chicken, longaniza, criolla potatoes and ripe plantain.

Arroz atollado is a regional rice dish documented in Valle del Cauca. The name describes the way the grains cook together in a moist, cohesive preparation with meats and vegetables. It should be spoonable and glossy, closer to a loose risotto than to dry, separate rice, while still holding its shape rather than becoming a thin soup.

This eight-portion version follows a measured recipe published by Colombia's rice growers' federation, Fedearroz. Pork ribs, lean pork and chicken build the savory base; Colombian longaniza, tomato-onion hogao, yellow criolla potatoes and fried ripe plantain complete the pot. Other documented Valle recipes vary: some use peas, add more herbs or serve hard-boiled egg, and the choice of pork, chicken and sausage changes between households. This edition keeps one formula coherent and names the others as variations.

Make the hogao first, then brown the meats in batches so they develop color instead of steaming. Add the rice and hot broth and let the starch thicken the cooking liquid. Stir as the rice softens, especially near the bottom of the pot. Add broth gradually if needed: the finished arroz atollado should stay moist and cohesive, not watery. Serve it as soon as it is ready with reserved hogao and, if desired, hard-boiled egg or avocado.

Ingredients

Arroz atollado

570 g medium-grain white rice, dry
60 ml neutral vegetable oil, divided
150 g white onion, finely chopped
2 scallions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
600 g ripe tomatoes, chopped
2400 ml chicken broth, hot, plus a little more only if needed
250 g Colombian longaniza, cut into thick pieces
800 g pork ribs, cut into small pieces
500 g lean boneless pork, cut into bite-sized cubes
450 g boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized cubes
15 ml achiote seasoning or food-grade color
600 g small yellow criolla potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
8 g fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered (optional)
300 g ripe plantain, peeled, diced and fried until golden
Ground cumin, salt and black pepper, to taste

Method

Cook the hogao Heat about one third of the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the white onion and cook until it begins to turn translucent. Add the scallions and garlic; stir for a minute, then add the tomatoes and a splash of broth. Season with cumin, salt and pepper and cook until the tomatoes collapse into a soft, spoonable sauce. Set aside most of the hogao, reserving a little for serving.
Brown the sausage and meats Heat the remaining oil in a wide, heavy pot. Brown the longaniza, then transfer it to a plate. Brown the pork ribs, lean pork and chicken in batches, leaving space between pieces so they color rather than steam. Return the meats to the pot, keeping the sausage aside for later, and stir in most of the hogao.
Add rice and broth Stir the dry rice through the meat and hogao. Pour in the hot chicken broth and add the achiote seasoning or food-grade color. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook until the rice has begun to soften, stirring once or twice and scraping the bottom of the pot.
Finish with potatoes and longaniza Add the potatoes and browned longaniza. Stir carefully and simmer until the potatoes are tender, the rice is fully cooked and the pork and chicken reach 74°C throughout. Stir more frequently as the mixture thickens. If the rice is becoming dry before the potatoes soften, add hot broth a little at a time. The final texture should be moist and cohesive, not soupy.
Fold in plantain and serve Fold in the cilantro and fried ripe plantain. Taste and adjust salt, pepper and cumin. Serve immediately in bowls with reserved hogao and, if desired, quartered hard-boiled egg. Avocado or crisp green-plantain tostadas make suitable sides.

Practical guidance

Practical

Nutrition per serving

These rounded estimates use the listed ingredients divided into eight portions. Pork ribs contain variable bone and fat, and longaniza, broth, retained oil and plantain absorption differ, so actual values may be higher or lower.

Practical guidance

Brown in batches: Crowding the pot traps steam and prevents good browning. Transfer each batch to a plate while the next one colors; the browned bits left in the pot enrich the rice. Watch the liquid: Broth absorption varies with rice, pot width and heat. Keep extra broth hot and add it in small pours if the rice starts to catch or dry out before it is tender. Stir from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Keep the texture moist: Atollado is meant to be moist and bound by rice starch. It should mound softly on a spoon, with no pool of thin broth. It thickens as it stands, so serve promptly and loosen leftovers with a splash of broth when reheating. Check packaged ingredients: Longaniza and broth vary in salt and may contain declared allergens. Taste before adding more salt and check labels, especially if cooking for someone with a food allergy.

Final notes

Keep raw pork and chicken away from ready-to-eat foods, and wash hands, tools and surfaces after handling. Do not rinse raw meat in the sink. Check the thickest pieces with a clean food thermometer and cook pork and chicken to 74°C. Serve the rice promptly; do not leave it at room temperature longer than 2 hours. Cool leftovers quickly in shallow containers, refrigerate, use within 3–4 days and reheat throughout to 74°C. Remember 1: Brown the meats in batches to deepen the flavor of the rice. Remember 2: Serve the atollado while it is moist and cohesive, with hogao and optional egg or avocado.

Nutrition per serving

Serving basis: 1 of 8 portions
Calories: 900 kcal
Carbohydrates: 84 g
Protein: 58 g
Fat: 34 g
Fibre: 5 g
Sodium: 1200 mg

Arroz atollado (Valle-style Colombian moist rice)

Ingredients

Arroz atollado

Method

Practical

Nutrition per serving

Practical guidance

Final notes

Nutrition per serving

Colombian National Dishes

Sancocho de carne (Bolívar beef and root-vegetable stew)

Sancocho de cabeza de cerdo salada (salted pork-head sancocho)

Sancocho de las tres carnes (Chocó three-meat sancocho)