Arroz Con Guandú Y Coco (Panamanian Coconut Rice with Pigeon Peas)

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that this side dish comes from African culture. To be more specific Ghana and Ivory Coast in West Africa.

Is there another name for pigeon peas?

So many countries in Latin America have a version of rice and peas. It’s one of my favorite dishes. In Panama, we use green pigeon peas and black pigeon peas. We call them guandú. In Puerto Rico, they make a similar dish called arroz con gandules. In Jamaica they use brown pigeon peas also called gungo peas or congo peas. And in the Dominican Republic, they make a dish called moro de gandules. And when you add in a can of creamy coconut milk you have moro de guandules con coco.

What do you eat coconut rice with pigeon peas (Arroz Con Guandú Y Coco) with?

In many Panamanian families, this traditional dish is served for special occasions, special events, and the new year. My favorite is eating it with some type of stewed meat like carne guisada. I did an entire post about my favorite Panamanian food so feel free to go look around and pick one!

What ingredients do you need to make coconut rice with pigeon peas?

Everyone has their own way of making this rice dish but if this is your first time then this should be fairly easy. All you need is the following ingredients:

• White rice
• Pigeon peas (canned peas will be sufficient)
• coconut oil (olive oil would also work)
• coconut milk
• sofrito ( I used sofrito with culantro because the recipe requires culantro and I can’t ever find it anywhere.)
• garlic
• and salt for taste.

Points to remember while making this rice:

Whenever people make rice recipes I have to remind them that even though rice seems simple it is such an easy thing to mess up. You really only need to cover the pot and let it cook on low heat. DON’T TOUCH IT! Not even to check on it. Also, I always rinse rice with cold water before cooking. I know everyone advises against this because of essential nutrients. But this has always been the way I was taught.

How to make coconut rice with pigeon peas!

Arroz Con Guandú Y Coco (Panamanian Coconut Rice with Pigeon Peas)

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Arroz Con Guandú Y Coco (Coconut Rice with Pigeon Peas) is a traditional Panamanian side dish served for special occasions preferably with stewed meat.

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Ingredients

• 1 tbsp Coconut oil
• 1 cup of Rice
• 1 can of Pigeon peas
• 2 tbsp. Sofrito with Culantro
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• Salt
• 1 cup of coconut milk
• 1 cup of water

Instructions

1. Heat a pot on medium heat and add 1 tbsp. of coconut oil.
2. After the oil has melted, add 1 can of pigeon peas.
3. Next, add 2 tbsp. of sofrito with culantro and stir with a wooden spoon.
4. Then add 1 tbsp. of minced garlic, stir, and let the peas cook for about 3 minutes.
5. Add a cup of water and let the beans simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Afterward, add 1 cup of Jazmin rice
7. Next, add 1 cup of coconut milk while stirring. Add a pinch of salt for taste.
8. Cover the pot and put your stove on low setting.
9. Let it cook for 25 mins.

Notes

• I use sofrito with culantro because culantro is really hard to find. However, if you have access to it then, by all means, USE IT!
• You can add some fresh cilantro as garnish.
• If for some reason you use too much liquid, it's okay because it happens to the best of us. A trick that I have learned is to put a couple of slices of bread layered on top while it's still cooking so it sucks up the moisture.

Nutrition Information

Yield 6 Serving Size 1 cup
Amount Per Serving Calories 175Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 9gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 0mgSodium 154mgCarbohydrates 16gFiber 2gSugar 0gProtein 4g

If you are looking for a yummy Delicious Authentic Jamaican Rice and Peas Recipe try this one by Brooklyn Active Mama!

Posted By: Kisha Gulley · In: Afro-Latinx Culture, Featured, Recipes