Today we are making Trinidad black eyed peas pelau to ensure that the New Year brings with it lots of luck, including success, wealth, and prosperity.
Before eating 12 grapes under the table on Old Year’s Night was a thing, eating Black eyed peas was the go-to tradition for many—and still is.
Why Eat Black Eyed Peas on New Year’s?
‘Eating black eyed peas for New Year’s (Old Year’s Day in the Caribbean) has long been a Caribbean, African-American, and Southern tradition. It signifies good luck, and financial wealth/prosperity.
I know we all could use some luck in 2024, so here’s my simple but very delicious black eyed peas pelau recipe. It has a good balance of meat, rice, and veggies. Too many veggies, the kids will steer clear; too much rice and the husband will stop eating when the meat is done –and unfortunately, the excess rice goes to waste. This balance to satisfy everyone comes from decades of practice in the kitchen.
Keep in mind that this recipe (and pelau and soups recipes in general) yields a lot! I have learned to make smaller portions over the years through sheer force.
Link to Grains Storage Container Here.
What is Trinidad Pelau?
For those of you who don’t know, Pelau is a savory one-pot Trinidadian favorite. Meat, including chicken, beef, or pigtails, is first browned using “burnt sugar(a little past the caramelization point), to which rice, fresh herbs, peas or beans, veggies, and coconut milk are added, resulting in the most comforting of dishes. It is a superb marriage of protein, rice, and veggies made in heaven.
What are your New Year’s good luck traditions?
Happy New Year! Here’s to the best year of your life! Thanks so much for your support, likes, and love in 2023! I love and appreciate each one of you. ❤️
- Ingredients You Will Need:
- 2 – 3 lbs meat–Use any type of meat–In the corresponding video, I used rib-eye steak which was very delicious and tender. Options that will work include whole chicken cut up, thighs or drumsticks, beef, lamb, pork, pigtail (needs to be pre-cooked for a long time) or oxtail–also need to be pre-cooked or pressure cooked–canned be pressure cooked after the browning step), washed and drained
- 1/2 cup green seasoning- If you don’t have pre-made green seasoning, check out this recipe here.
- 1 onion, chopped, divided
- 2 tbs minced garlic, use about 6-8 cloves
- 1 tbs pimento pepper, chopped-this is optional as pimento pepper is not always available.
- Hot pepper, to taste–Also optional but adds a nice heat to any dish.
- Salt and pepper (to season meat and finishing up)
- 2 tablespoons oil–I use extra virgin olive oil, but use an oil with a low smoke point to prevent smoking!
- 6 tbs brown sugar–Raw turbinado or demerara sugar is best
- 10 thyme sprigs, chopped–leave whole and remove at the end of cooking if woody with thick stems
- 4 scallions, chopped–Substitute with your favorite herbs or a combination
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1 carrot, diced – I always small dice my veggies to ensure that the kids enjoy this pelau as well
- 1 red bell pepper
- 2.5 cups parboiled rice, washed and drained- If you don’t have parboiled rice, jasmine or basmati rice will work. Do not add too much liquid or the result will be mushy. Control the amount of water depending on the result you wish. More liquid for mushy rice, less for grainy.
- 2-3 cups cooked blackeye peas (1 cup dried)–Boil from scratch or use cooked canned blackeye peas. I never saw canned blackeye peas in my supermarket, but my sister gets them at Walmart or Target.
- 1 can coconut milk diluted with 1 cup hot water–Fresh is best-see how to make fresh coconut milk here, but canned works just as well. Buy a brand with no chemicals or preservatives.
Other recipes you will love:
Quick and Simple Chicken Pelau Recipe
Most Popular Rice Recipes on this Blog
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Trinidad Black Eye Peas Pelau
Ingredients
To Season Meat
- 2 lbs meat whole chicken cut up, thighs or drumsticks, beef, lamb, pork or oxtail, washed and drained
- 1/2 cup green seasoning
- 1 onion chopped, divided
- 2 tbs minced garlic 6-8 cloves
- 1 tbs pimento pepper chopped, optional
- Hot pepper to taste
- Salt and pepper to season
To Cook:
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 6 tbs brown sugar
- 10 thyme sprigs chopped
- 4 scallions chopped
- 1 stalk celery diced
- 1 carrot diced
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped pumpkin optional
- 2.5 cups parboiled rice washed and drained
- 3 cups cooked black eyed peas 1 cup dried
- 1 can coconut milk diluted with 1 cup hot water
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook Beans: Soak 1 cup dried beans overnight. Drain. Add 4 cups of water to saucepan, bring to boil add 1 cup soaked beans or peas and boil until beans are cooked. Drain (reserving any liquid if you would like to use) and set aside. Alternately, pressure cook in an Instant Pot for 10 mins or until tender but still firm. Once cooked, drain black eye peas, reserving liquid. Add coconut milk to the reserved liquid and add enough hot water to make 5 cups of liquid.
- Prepare meat: Cut meat into 1- 2-inch pieces. Wash with the juice or a lime or lemon and several changes of water. Drain well. To the meat, green seasoning, 1/2 onion, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well to coat the meat with the seasonings. Marinate for at least an hour or overnight.
- Heat oil in a dry large deep heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add sugar and allow it to froth, expand, bubble and darken(but not black and smoking). If black, start over.
- Immediately add the seasoned meat and thyme, stirring frequently to coat about 5 minutes. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 20-30 mins or until tender but 75% cooked—chicken will take less time, other red meats will take longer.
- Rinse rice under running water until the water runs clear. Drain and add the rice to the pot along with scallions, celery, carrots, chopped bell pepper, remaining onion, and cook stirring, for 3 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk mixture to the pot or enough liquid to cover by 1 inch. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
- Bring to a boil. When the liquid comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low or simmer, cover pot tightly with a cover and cook for about 30 minutes or until rice is cooked and all the liquid has evaporated. Stir every ten minutes to combine the flavors and ensure that it is not sticking.
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