Rice Tamale (Pastel de Arroz)

El Pastel de Arroz (rice tamale) is typical dish from Cartagena, Colombia. It is very common to find it on Sundays at the beach or as a Christmas Eve favourite.
Ingredients
Rice
- 1½ cups rice
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 6 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 tbsp onoto seeds
- ½ cup corn oil or sunflower oil
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
Filling
- 6 chunks of tender pork
- 6 pieces of chicken (drumsticks or cutlets recommended)
- 6 small Vienna sausages
- 6 small chorizos
- 6 slices of bacon
- Assorted pickles (carrot, green beans, cauliflower, red pepper, celery)
- 1 can (16 oz) Goya chickpeas
- 3 medium potatoes
- 3 red tomatoes
- 12 large cabbage leaves
- 24 large "lobster claw" leaves (can be replaced with banana plant leaves)
- Capers, olives, and pickled onions
Steps
Rice
- Mix all ingredients well in large Pyrex baking dish.
- Stand one day under the sun (orear).
- Place 1 cabbage leaf on clean working area.
- Spread ⅛ cup rice mixture over cabbage leaf.
- Place one unit of each meat evenly through the pastel.
- Place pickles, chickpeas, capers and pickled onions on top of meats.
- Place 2 slices potato and 2 slices tomato on top. Cover with another ⅛ cup rice mixture.
- Cover with one cabbage leaf.
- Place one washed lobster claw / banana leaf on plain working area. Put pastel on leaf. Roll firmly.
- Cover with second leaf. Roll firmly. Tie with thread.
- Cook in large pan covered with water, vinegar and salt, 2 hours.
Notes from the original
- Onoto substitutes: pinch of paprika (for color not flavor); an equal amount of saffron; yellow food coloring; hot paprika; or equal parts turmeric and paprika.
- You can prepare your own pickles: For 6 pastels boil 1½ cup water, ½ cup vinegar, 4 tbsp brown sugar and 1 large carrot cut into 6 sticks, 2 celery sticks cut in three pieces each, 6 green beans cut in half, 1 large red bell pepper cut into 12 sticks, and 1 small cauliflower. Let cool down and keep refrigerated overnight, before using it.
Source. Adapted from “Cookbook:Rice Tamale (Pastel de Arroz)” by Wikibooks contributors, revision of 2025-07-21, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Changes. Steps rewritten into short commands. Introduction shortened. Wiki formatting removed. This adapted recipe is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo. Pastel Arroz.jpg by Lgvanegas at English Wikibooks, Public domain, via Wikimedia. Resized; otherwise unchanged.






