The Eastern Caribbean one-pot rice — chicken browned in caramelized sugar, then simmered with rice, pigeon peas, and coconut milk into a glossy, faintly sweet, deeply savory rice dish.
Pelau is the beloved one-pot rice of the Eastern Caribbean (Grenada, Trinidad, the Grenadines), defined by the 'browning' of meat in burnt sugar before the rice goes in.
Spoon up pelau — glossy brown rice studded with tender chicken and pigeon peas, faintly sweet from caramelized sugar and rich with coconut. Bite: the rice is deeply savory and caramel-tinged, the chicken falling apart, the pigeon peas earthy, a warm thread of thyme and scotch bonnet. A complete one-pot meal — the Eastern Caribbean Sunday rice.
Caramelizing sugar to a deep brown before adding the meat (the 'browning') gives pelau its signature color and bittersweet depth; cooking the rice directly in the coconut-and-meat liquid lets each grain absorb the flavor. The pigeon peas and pumpkin round it out.
Variations
With beef or oxtail. With salt beef added. Spicier with more pepper. With carrots and olives. Drier or moister. Without coconut.
On the Palate
Where Grenadian Pelau sits in the Grenadian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6
How it's made
8 steps · 35 min active + 40 min waiting
- 18 min
Season 8 chicken pieces with green seasoning (herbs, garlic, scotch bonnet).
- 25 min
Heat 3 tbsp sugar in oil until it caramelizes to a deep brown.
Watch outTake the sugar all the way to a deep mahogany brown and just wisping smoke before the meat goes in — pull it too early and pelau turns out pale and cloyingly sweet.
- 34 min
Add the chicken and turn to coat in the burnt sugar (browning).
Watch outThe chicken should hiss and take on a dark glossy coat as it turns in the burnt sugar — this browning is what colors the whole pot.
- 43 min
Add 300 g rice and 200 g pigeon peas; stir to coat.
- 53 min
Pour in 400 ml coconut milk and water to cover; add thyme.
- 626 min
Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low 25 min.
Watch outKeep it on a bare simmer with the lid on — the rice should drink the liquid dry, not scorch, so no peeking or stirring.
- 711 min
Add diced pumpkin or carrot in the last 10 min; rest off heat.
- 83 min
Fluff and serve with coleslaw.
