Trinidad Chicken Pelau (Printable Version)
A Trinidad tradition where pigeon peas, juicy chicken, herbs, and coconut milk all blend with rice for rich flavor.
# What You'll Need:
→ Main Ingredients
01 -
2 teaspoons black pepper
02 -
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
03 -
2 cups hot water
04 -
1 1/2 to 2 cups coconut milk
05 -
2 teaspoons salt
06 -
2 cans (15 ounces each) pigeon peas, drained
07 -
1/2 cup cubed pumpkin
08 -
2 tablespoons chopped ginger
09 -
2 tablespoons chopped culantro
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2 tablespoons chopped parsley
11 -
2 cloves garlic, chopped
12 -
1/2 cup chopped pimento pepper
13 -
1/2 cup chopped onion
14 -
2 cups parboiled rice
15 -
5 tablespoons brown sugar
16 -
3 tablespoons green seasoning
17 -
2 pounds chicken, cut small
# Step-by-Step Guide:
01 -
Before you plate up, taste it and tweak the salt or pepper if it needs a boost.
02 -
Once it's all bubbling, drop the heat, put on a lid, and leave it to gently cook until the rice soaks up most of the liquid and is tender.
03 -
Now pour in the hot water first, then the coconut milk. Give everything a good mix so it all comes together.
04 -
Toss in the rice, pumpkin, pimento, onion, garlic, ginger, parsley, culantro, salt, pepper, and ketchup. Stir everything around so it’s mixed up nice and even.
05 -
Dump the pigeon peas into the pot and stir. Let it go for about five minutes, stirring it now and then.
06 -
Drop in the chicken you seasoned earlier. Mix it about so each chunk gets some of that sweet caramel. Let it cook, turning a few times, two to five minutes.
07 -
Warm up your heavy pot over medium, scatter the brown sugar around, and let it melt down and turn a rich golden color, with bubbles popping up.
08 -
Give the chicken a rinse and dry-off. Coat it with green seasoning and let it soak up those flavors for a bit.
# Additional Notes:
01 -
If you want drier grains, stick with less liquid. For stickier, softer rice, pour in a little more coconut milk or water as it cooks.