Trinidadian Chicken Pelau

An overhead image of a skillet of pelau on a red board with a dished out bowl of pelau on a white and blue spotted cloth with a small dish of coleslaw with fresh cilantro and fresh limes and lemons

5 from 1 vote

Trinidadian Chicken Pelau

The unofficial national dish of Trinidad and Tobago is an amazing one-pot meal featuring all the essentials: meat, beans, rice and veggies. Perfect for weekdays and even better for weekend gatherings, this meal is a delicious winner that somehow manages to taste even better the next day!

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Resting Time30

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Caribbean

Servings:

Calories: 573kcal

Author: Kitrusy

Ingredients

For the Stew Chicken base

2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cubed)
2 tbsp chives (finely chopped)
3 tbsp fresh cilantro (or 1 tbsp culantro aka chadon beni)
3 cloves garlic (grated)
1/2 medium onion (diced)
1 tbsp fresh basil (chopped)
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp fresh ginger (grated)
3 sprigs fine thyme
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Chipotle Powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp Himalayan salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
3 tbsp tomato sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce (gluten-free)
4 tbsp extra light olive oil
3 tbsp raw cane sugar
1-2 cups water or chicken broth (or chicken broth)

For the Pelau:

1 cup butternut squash (cubed)
1/2 cup carrots (diced)
13.5 oz coconut milk (1 tin)
15 oz pigeon peas (1 tin, strained and rinsed)
2 cups parboiled brown rice
1 cup water
1-2 tbsp salted butter (optional)

Instructions

Season the chicken: Dice and season the chicken breast using the chives, cilantro, garlic, onion, basil, oregano, ginger, fine thyme (leaves only, discard the sticks), smoked paprika, chipotle powder, cayenne, salt, pepper, soy sauce and tomato sauce. Mix well to ensure all seasoning is evenly distributed. Cover, and marinate for at least an hour.
Stew the chicken: In a heavy-bottom pot, add the oil and the sugar on high to medium-high heat. Allow the sugar to slowly melt and when it starts to spread, froth, and you can just see the edges and underside (through the froth) beginning to darken, lower the heat to medium-low and add in the chicken quickly (but carefully) and turn the pieces to ensure that all are evenly coated with the caramelized sugar.
Once coated, allow the chicken to cook undisturbed (on med-low) for two to three minutes before turning and allowing the pieces to cook on the other side for another two to three minutes.
Pour in enough water or broth to partially cover the chicken and cover your pot and allow the meat to simmer for 15 minutes.
Make the pelau: Add in the carrots and squash and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Next, pour in the coconut milk and add the the washed and drained pigeon peas and simmer for another 2-3 minutes before finally adding in the parboiled rice and turning so that it is evenly distributed with the other ingredients.
Bring the pot to a boil before reducing the heat and covering. Simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring gently every so often and scraping the bottom of the pot to ensure that none of the ingredients stick and burn and everything cooks evenly. In the event that the rice is not fully cooked after 30 minutes, simply add more liquid (if needed) and continue to simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
Once nearly all the liquid is reduced and the rice is fully cooked, turn off the heat and cover the pot and allow the ingredients to fully meld together. For added richness, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of salted butter.
Serve your pelau with freshly sliced cucumbers, a side salad, or with a homemade coleslaw. Store any leftovers in an air tight container for up to one week in the refrigerator or four months in the freezer.

Notes

You can use any meat of your choice including beef and pork or even bone in cuts of chicken if preferred.
The granules of pigeon peas that come out of the can should be rinsed under cool tap water to remove the liquid it's been soaking in along with any excess sodium (salt) that is not needed.
Pelau can be cooked to be either slightly wet or dry to the point where the rice has absorbed all liquids. It's up to you how you enjoy it and you can attain either by cooking off all liquids or by adding in a bit more liquid to keep it moist and almost creamy (like a risotto).

Nutrition