This recipe uses traditional white rice; you can substitute long grain brown rice but it will take add an additional 15-20 minutes to cook. If using brown rice, add the water and salt, cover and bring to a boil; let the rice simmer for 20 minutes before adding the pigeon peas and corn, then add them and simmer another 20- 25 minutes on low heat until the rice is tender.
This dish is great paired with a flavorful salsa, such as Mango Salsa, but in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, spicy foods are not the norm.
Caribbean Yellow Rice and Pigeon Peas
Recipe type: Main Dish, grains, beans
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6 to 8
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 cups white rice
- 3½ cups water
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1½ cups drained cooked pigeon peas * (16-ounce can)
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cut corn
- ground black pepper to taste
- * Cooked dried peas, not green.
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a 3-quart saucepan.
- Sauté the onions and garlic for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat, until they are just beginning to soften.
- Mix in the turmeric and then the rice, stirring until the rice is uniformly yellow.
- Add the water, salt, drained pigeon peas, and corn.
- Cover and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Season to taste with black pepper and serve.
Notes
PER 8-OZ SERVING: 270 CALORIES, 6 G PROTEIN, 5.5 G FAT, 48.9 G CARBOHYDRATE. 418 MG SODIUM, 0 MG CHOLESTEROL.