Can I use dried pigeon peas instead of canned?

You can, but it adds significant time. Dried pigeon peas need to be soaked overnight and then cooked for 45-60 minutes before they're soft enough to use in this recipe. Canned pigeon peas are already cooked and work perfectly here, there's no real flavor difference worth the extra effort for this dish specifically.

What can I substitute for coconut milk?

If you're out of coconut milk, you can use vegetable broth for the liquid and add a small amount of coconut extract to approximate the flavor. That said, coconut milk is what makes this distinctly Panamanian rather than just rice and peas, it's worth getting the real thing. Look for full-fat canned coconut milk, not the refrigerated drinking kind.

Why did my rice come out mushy?

The most common reason is lifting the lid during cooking. The steam that escapes throws off the water-to-rice ratio and makes the rice gummy. Put the lid on, turn the heat to low, and don't touch it for the full 25 minutes. The other common cause is too much liquid -- this is why I always measure carefully. If it happens anyway, the bread trick works: lay a couple of slices of bread on top of the rice while it's still in the pot and cover it again. The bread absorbs the extra moisture.

Can I make this vegan?

It already is. Every ingredient in this recipe is plant-based: pigeon peas, coconut milk, coconut oil, sofrito, garlic, rice. No modifications needed.

How do I store leftovers?

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Reheat on the stovetop with a splash of water or coconut milk to bring the moisture back. It also freezes well, portion it into freezer bags and it keeps for up to three months. The flavor holds better than most rice dishes because of the coconut milk.

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

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Key Takeaways
Arroz con guandú y coco is a traditional Afro-Panamanian dish — the word “guandú” itself traces back to Bantu dialects from West and Central Africa, carried to the Americas by enslaved Africans beginning in the 16th century.
Pigeon peas pack 20-22% protein and about 15g of fiber per 100g — more protein per gram than most cereals. (Wiley / Legume Science, 2024)
Every Latin American country has its own version of this dish. Same roots, different names — gandules in Puerto Rico, gungo peas in Jamaica, guandules in the Dominican Republic.
The most important tip: once the lid goes on, don’t lift it. Not even to check. Resist.

Growing up, this dish showed up at every celebration in my family. New Year’s, birthdays, Sunday dinners where someone decided the occasion was special enough — arroz con guandú y coco was always on the table. It’s one of those recipes that’s simple enough to make on a Tuesday but feels important enough for any occasion you want to mark.

My grandmother made this. My mother makes this. Now I make this. And every time I smell coconut milk and pigeon peas coming together in a pot, it takes me straight back to Panama.