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Calentado
Calentado: last night's rice and beans fried up with hogao, served with a fried egg and arepa
Calentado literally means reheated, and that is the whole idea: the rice and beans left from yesterday's lunch are fried together in a hot pan with hogao until they catch and crisp at the edges. In Antioquia it is the breakfast of champions, topped with a runny fried egg and served with a corn arepa, a slice of white cheese and hot chocolate, and city cafés across Colombia now put it on weekend menus. This version is meat-free, using beans cooked without pork. Leftover rice needs care: it must have been cooled within an hour or two of cooking and kept in the fridge no more than a day, and it should be reheated until piping hot all through. Stirring constantly is what turns it to mush, so press it into the pan and let a crust form before turning. Chef's tip: add a few spoonfuls of the bean broth; it binds the rice and helps the crispy bits form.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
For the calentado
To serve
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Fresh ingredients (6)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Fry 2 spring onions for 2 minutes, then add 1 tomato, 1 garlic clove and ¼ tsp ground cumin and cook for 4 minutes, until saucy.
6 minStep 2: Add 10 ½ oz cooked red beans with some broth with a few spoonfuls of their broth and cook for 2 minutes, crushing some with a spoon.
2 minStep 3: Add 10 ½ oz cooked white rice and ½ tsp salt, mix once and press flat. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook for 3 minutes without stirring, until a crust forms underneath.
3 minStep 4: Turn the mixture over in sections and press again for 2–3 minutes, until piping hot throughout and crisp in places.
3 minStep 5: Meanwhile, toast 2 white corn arepas in a dry pan or under the grill for 3–4 minutes a side, until golden spots appear.
7 minStep 6: In another pan, heat 1 tbsp sunflower oil over a medium heat and fry 2 eggs for 3 minutes, until the whites are set and the edges lacy.
3 minStep 7: Pile the calentado onto plates, top each with a fried egg and serve with the arepas and ½ avocado if using.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 19 g
- Carbs
- 72 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 10 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does calentado take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of spring onions?
- Chives, or a little finely sliced onion.
- What can I use instead of tomato?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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