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DISH RESEARCH · Main dish

Pelau

A caramel-coloured chicken, pigeon-pea and coconut rice dish in a grainy presentation.

About Pelau

Chris De La Rosa’s chicken pelau recalls the pots his mother prepared for family beach outings in Trinidad and Tobago. Chicken, pigeon peas and rice form a substantial one-pot meal.

Brown sugar gives the meat and rice their caramel colour, while coconut milk rounds the flavour. Garlic, ginger, coriander, thyme, onion and black pepper provide the aromatic seasoning.

This grainy presentation has distinct rice grains around the chicken and peas. Celery leaves and Golden Ray salted butter are offered additions, with green salad and hot sauce among the suggested accompaniments.

Allergens in this recipe

Optional additions: Milk (product-dependent or unconfirmed), Celery.

Other allergen details are unconfirmed.

Ingredients vary by restaurant. Confirm your allergens with staff before ordering.

Ingredients in Pelau

Chris De La Rosa's Trinidadian chicken pelau.

Ingredient details & uncertainties

Allergen information is incomplete. Unconfirmed details do not establish that an allergen is absent.

  • Chicken pieces: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Ingredient page link pending verification or catalogue review
  • Lime juice: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual26 first lime over lemon for food-contact wash; no washing safety claim.
  • Salt: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
  • Worcestershire sauce: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual28 generic brand/full formula unprovided, no forced Fish/Soy/Wheat guess.
  • Ketchup: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
  • Garlic: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
  • Fresh ginger: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual31 first fresh over bottled/powder alternatives.
  • Vegetable oil: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual32 identity unspecified.
  • Onion: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
  • Tomato: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
  • Fresh coriander: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual35 first cilantro over separate green meat-seasoning alternative; no forced expansion of unselected paste.
  • Golden brown sugar: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual36 and creator756 explicitly golden, not darkbrown or white alternative.
  • Water: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual37 and rinse rice/peas55/54 literal.
  • Black pepper: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
  • Hot pepper, unspecified (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual39 only if desired spicy, parent optional, no species guess.
  • Green onion: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual40 first green onion over chive.
  • Fresh thyme: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual41 first fresh over dried.
  • Carrot: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
  • Coconut milk: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
  • Canned dried pigeon peas: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual44/49 concrete dry congo-pea can selected, not green/fresh alternate48.
  • Long-grain brown rice: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Literal45/55 brownrice wording retained; exact local parboiling/processing not silently rewritten.
  • Golden Ray salted butter (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Milk unconfirmed. Actual Chris46/58 calls Golden Ray salted butter. Current specific Spice Centre Golden Ray Cooking Margarine500g declaration20-22 gives vegetable oils/soya, a concrete named-product contradiction rather than hypothetical substitute. Exact intended2009 formulation and Milk remain unresolved; no Milk absence or Soy confirmation for the historical recipe.
  • Celery leaves (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Celery source-confirmed. Actual59 great-aunt topping offered as added flavour, optional; no lovage substitution from reader101.
  • Prepared green salad (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual22 mother/beach service context offered with this whole classic, optional, complete salad formula not provided or linked.
  • Prepared hot sauce (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual22 offered diner drizzle, optional, no full sauce formula or applicable own source link.

Origins & food traditions

Countries

Cuisines & regions

Sources & references
  1. Pelau, the first guest invited to every beach lime. - Chris De La Rosa