Pelau

Pelau with chicken

Pelau is a traditional rice dish in Trinidadian cuisine .

Components and origin

The main ingredients of the dish are meat (mostly chicken, beef or goat, on Tobago also crab meat), rice, pigeon peas or black peas , coconut milk and sugar, as well as various vegetables and spices as well as optional ingredients depending on your taste. The meat is caramelized in sugar and the other ingredients are gradually added to make a dark brown stew. Alternatively, the ingredients can also be baked in the oven after searing the meat and pre-cooking the rice. A typical side dish can e.g. B. be Kuchela .

Pelau is a close relative of the pilaf , a rice dish common in Central and Western Asia. The method of preparation came to Trinidad through Indian immigrants. The caramelization of meat goes back to African origins. Over time, pilaf, the caramelization of meat and influences from Caribbean cuisine , incorporating local ingredients, merged into the pelau.

Web links

• Video recording of the preparation, part 1 (English)
• Video recording of the preparation, part 2 (English)
• Preparation instructions (example, English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Ganeshram, Ramin: Sweet Hands. Island Cooking from Trinidad & Tobago, p. 134. Hippocrene Books, 2012.
2. ^ The Multi-Cultural Cuisine of Trinidad & Tobago. Naparima Girls' High School Cookbook, p. 150. 2nd edition, 2002.
3. ↑ Dave DeWitt & Mary Jane Wilson: Callaloo, Calypso & Carnival, p. 60. The Crossing Press 1993