Trini Red Bean Pelau

Trini Red Bean Pelau

Yesterday was a very rainy Sunday and once again I decided that I wanted to take the easy way out and make a one-pot dish for lunch. A Trini Pelau was my first choice since I had just gotten fresh veggies from the market. Usually the more popular legume for this dish is pigeon peas https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pigeon_pea. However, these are currently not in season and I did not have any frozen ones I had to improvise with organic Red Beans (kidney beans). 

Nutritional Benefits of Red Beans

Kidney beans are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber, as are most other beans. In addition to lowering cholesterol, kidney beans' high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making these beans an especially good choice for individuals with diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia. When combined with whole grains such as rice, kidney beans provide virtually fat-free high quality protein. But this is far from all kidney beans have to offer. Kidney beans are an excellent source of the trace mineral, molybdenum, an integral component of the enzyme sulfite oxidase, which is responsible for detoxifying sulfites. Sulfites are a type of preservative commonly added to prepared foods like delicatessen salads and salad bars. Persons who are sensitive to sulfites in these foods may experience rapid heartbeat, headache or disorientation if sulfites are unwittingly consumed. If you have ever reacted to sulfites, it may be because your molybdenum stores are insufficient to detoxify them. For more benefits see the following link.

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=87

The red bean pelau requires some preparation but once you have an organised system everything will flow smoothly. I used the following ingredients.

 INGREDIENTS

• 1 chicken (cut up and seasoned with salt and blended green seasoning)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 ripe tomato, chopped
• 3 pimentos, chopped
• 1 hot pepper
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 chives, chopped
• 1½ tbsp brown sugar
• Coconut oil
• Browning
• 1 sweet pepper, 1 carrot,  & 1 christophine, all chopped as seen below

• 1 lb organic red beans (pre-cooked ) - Boil red beans until it is cutting with spoon but not too soft.

•  1½ cups brown rice (pre-cooked) - Steam brown rice for approx 15 mins. This needs to be firm.

• Blended green seasoning (bandanya, ginger, chive, celery, garlic, thyme, hot pepper, podinah).

The following procedure was used. The first part is simply the same method for stewing chicken http://trinifoods2015.blogspot.com/2015/06/stewed-chicken.html. However, I will still review it here.

METHOD

• Heat iron pot.
• On a low flame add about 4 drops of coconut oil and heat.
• Add the brown sugar and heat until golden brown or caramelized. Please ensure that it doesn’t burn.
• Add the onions and heat until are translucent. This doesn’t take long.
• Add the chicken and stir thoroughly. 
• Add chopped tomato, some celery, some chive and some crushed garlic then cover and leave to simmer in its own juices on a low/medium flame. Meanwhile put on a kettle of water to boil.

• About 20 mins after or as soon as the liquids evaporate and the meat is beginning to stick to the bottom of the pot add green seasoning, pre-cooked red beans then stir.
• Add the rice and chopped carrots, christophine, sweet peppers and pimentos and stir again.
• Add a few drops of browning and pour boiling water to just about cover the rice. Cover pot and simmer until all liquids evaporate. Taste for salt and add more if necessary.

• Ensure that you monitor the pelau carefully since you do not want it to burn. This meal usually takes about 45 mins to 60 mins to cook 

So this was the end result.

A very comprehensive meal indeed and very delicious. I had this while i enjoyed some local Trini soca music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBnXCEvEMtM

This recipe can be modified for vegetarians to experience as well.

Hope this was helpful. Please feel free to comment.

Remember to cook with love and good vibes.