Pigeon Peas and Rice

A few weeks ago we were stopping at a Mexican grocery store. I love walking the aisles looking for tasty treats. On this particular trip, I was drooling over the large selection of dried beans and legumes. There were several I had never seen before including Pigeon Peas, so I bought them.



The instructions for cooking on the back where similar to other beans: soak overnight, and then cook in lots of water until soft. I dumped the entire one pound package into a large bowl and rinsed them off. After rinsing, I filled the bowl up with water and put it in the fridge overnight. I didn’t want them sprouting while soaking. It happened with chickpeas once!

They cooked up like black beans at about 90 minutes. So now I had the beans cooked, what to do with them? After lots of Google searching, the following recipe was born.

It is a delightful medley of texture and flavor. Slightly sweet with a touch of savory. The pea’s thick skin in contrast to the soft rice. A nice blend of colors. This recipe would be great on a hot summer day.



Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked Pigeon Peas
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 2 cups water
• 1 chopped red onion
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 chopped yellow bell pepper
• 1 can diced green chilies (4oz)
• 1 can diced tomatoes drained (14.5oz)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon dry thyme
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro

Method

1. Pour 1 cup of water into a large pot and heat.
2. Once water is hot, add the onions and garlic. Cook for a few minutes.
3. Add the pepper, chilies, tomato, cumin, allspice, and thyme. Cook for a few more minutes.
4. Add the Pigeon Peas, brown rice, and last cup of water. Bring to a boil.
5. Let simmer for 15 minutes until water is absorbed.
6. Add chopped cilantro and serve immediately.
7. Enjoy!

Makes about five cups.