Click on the image, above to submit to Pinterest.

Rice with Pigeon Peas

Rice with Pigeon Peas is a traditional Puerto Rican recipe for a classic dish of rice with pigeon peas in a tomato and chilli sauce. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Puerto Rican version of: Rice with Pigeon Peas.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

90 minutes

Total Time:

110 minutes

Serves:

6

Rating:

Tags : Chilli RecipesPork RecipesVegetable RecipesBean RecipesPuerto-rico Recipes

This is the Puerto Rican version of the dish known throughout the Caribbean as 'rice and peas'. However, unlike many versions this recipe uses a tomato-based sauce rather than a coconut milk based sauce to cook the rice and peas. As such it's more like the versions of this dish known from West Africa rather than much of the remainder of the Caribbean.

Ingredients:

450g fresh pigeon peas
1.8l water
salt, to taste
2 tsp vegetable oil
120g bacon, diced (British or Canadian-style bacon)
1 onion, chopped
1 Cubanel chilli, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 ripe tomato, chopped
340g long-grain white rice
6 stuffed green olives, diced
1 tsp capers
6 sprigs of coriander, chopped
60ml tomato purée
4 tbsp sofrito

Method:

Rinse the pigeon peas under plenty of cold running water then place in a large pot and cover with the 1.8l of water. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes then add a little salt (if desired) and cook for 15 minutes more. Drain the beans (reserve 750ml of he cooking liquid) then set aside.

Add he vegetable oil to a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Use to fry the bacon, onion, chilli, bell pepper and tomato until the vegetables are tender (about 8 minutes). Stir-in the rice into the mixture then add the olives, capers, coriander, tomato purée, sofrito and the cooked pigeon peas. Simmer for about 3 minutes then add the 750ml reserved cooking liquid and return the mixture to a simmer.

Continue cooking until almost all the water has evaporated (about 40 minutes) then reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover the pan and cook for a further 15 minutes. Using a large spoon carefully turn the mixture over, cover once again and cook for another 15 minutes. Serve immediately.