Pelau is a traditional rice dish from Trinidad and Tobago, made with dried gungo peas, chicken, coconut milk and flavoured with earthy green seasoning. This recipe comes from Brixton restaurant, Caribe’
Ingredients
200g skinless chicken thigh fillets, cut into pieces
1 lemon, juiced
3 tbsp green seasoning
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sunflower oil
25g dark brown muscovado sugar
125g dried gungo peas, soaked and boiled, or 1 tin, drained
75g pumpkin or squash, peeled and diced
75g carrots, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
a few sprigs thyme
10g ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 scotch bonnet, halved, plus extra sliced to serve
1 tbsp tomato ketchup or tomato purée
1 tbsp gravy browning
400ml tin coconut milk
500g long-grain rice
chopped to make 2 tbsp coriander or chadon beni
Step by step
Put the chicken and lemon juice in a large bowl. Cover with cold water. Drain. Season with 2 tbsp of green seasoning and the soy.
Heat the oil in a deep pan until hot but not smoking. Add the sugar and cook until it starts to bubble – don’t stir. Add the chicken (leave the left-over marinade in the bowl) and brown, stirring to coat. Cover and cook over a medium heat for 5-10 minutes, adding some water if it starts to catch.
Mix in the peas, pumpkin, carrots, garlic, thyme, ginger, onions, scotch bonnet, ketchup, gravy browning and remaining green seasoning, then the coconut milk and 600ml of water. If the liquid isn’t dark brown, add extra browning for colour. Season. Mix in the rice. Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes over a medium heat or until the water has evaporated and the rice is tender. Serve topped with the coriander and some sliced scotch bonnet.
