Colombian Arroz Clavado

Arroz Clavado is a traditional rice dish from Chocó, on Colombia’s Pacific coast, where it is very popular. It is cooked in a single pot with browned smoked sausage or longaniza, hogao, cumin, and achiote, and finished with cubes of white cheese that soften in the heat of the rice.

It is a simple, filling one-pot meal: the rice absorbs the smoky flavor of the sausage and the color of the achiote, while the cheese adds creaminess at the end.

Colombian Arroz Clavado

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• Author: Recetas123
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 55 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 4
• Category: Main Course
• Cuisine: Colombian

Print Recipe

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Ingredients

For the hogao

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped scallions
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
• 2 cups diced tomato

For the rice

• 2 cups rice
• 2 cups diced smoked sausage or longaniza
• 2 tablespoons oil
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon achiote
• 4 cups water
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup white cheese or mozzarella, diced
• Fresh cilantro, chopped, to taste

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Preparation

1. Make the hogao, heat the 3 tablespoons of oil in a skillet, add the tomato, scallions, garlic, and cumin, and cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring, until softened. Reduce the heat, add the salt and pepper, and cook for 10 minutes more, until the sauce thickens. Set aside 1 cup for the rice and refrigerate the rest.
2. Brown the sausage, in a large pot over medium heat, heat the 2 tablespoons of oil, add the sausage, and sauté for 5 minutes or until browned. Add the cup of hogao and the rice, and stir to coat the grains.
3. Cook the rice, pour in the water, stir, and bring to a boil. Add the cumin, achiote, and salt to taste; reduce the heat, cover, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until the rice is done.
4. Add the cheese and rest, turn off the heat, fluff the rice with a fork, stir in the cheese and cilantro, cover, and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Chef’s Tips

• The hogao can be made ahead: it keeps in the refrigerator, in a sealed container, for up to 1 week.
• Taste before salting the rice, since the sausage and cheese already add salt.
• Fluff the rice with a fork before adding the cheese so the grains don’t clump.

Traditional Variations

Longaniza can be replaced with smoked sausage, and white cheese with diced mozzarella.

How to Serve

Serve Arroz Clavado hot, right after resting, as a one-dish meal.

Recommended Side Dishes

• Avocado
• Fresh salad
• Fried ripe plantains

Fun Fact

Arroz Clavado is especially popular in the department of Chocó. Its simplicity (one pot, smoked sausage, hogao, and cheese) makes it a practical and filling meal.