🇱🇨 Saint Lucian Cuisine

Pelau

One-Pot Rice with Chicken and Pigeon Peas

Prep Time 1 hour

Servings 6

Difficulty Medium

Calories 464 kcal

Rice cooked with caramelized chicken, pigeon peas, and coconut milk in a single pot, producing a smoky, deeply flavoured one-pot meal.

Ingredients

500g chicken pieces
300g long grain rice, washed
1 can pigeon peas, drained
200ml coconut milk
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 Scotch bonnet pepper, whole
500ml chicken stock
2 tbsp ketchup
Salt and black pepper

Instructions

1 Season chicken with garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper.
2 Heat oil and sugar in a heavy pot until sugar caramelizes to dark brown.
3 Add chicken and turn to coat in caramel. Brown all sides.
4 Add onion and cook until softened.
5 Add rice, pigeon peas, coconut milk, stock, ketchup, and Scotch bonnet.
6 Stir once, cover tightly, and cook on low heat 25 minutes.
7 Do not lift lid during cooking. Fluff with fork before serving.

Did You Know?

The key to great pelau is the bun-bun, the crispy caramelized rice layer that forms at the bottom of the pot, which is fought over at the dinner table.