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This recipe for Trinidadian pelau comes from Brixton restaurant, Caribe’. Also try their recipes for Trinidadian curry shrimp, Barbudian fish wata and a Black Mout Montserrat cocktail.

  • 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

Nutrition: per serving

  • kcal458
    low
  • fat14.1g
  • saturates8.4g
  • carbs66.1g
  • sugars6.8g
  • fibre4.7g
  • protein14.5g
  • salt0.8g

Method

  • step 1

    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.

  • step 2

    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.

  • step 3

    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.

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