Recipe for pigeon peas? Gandules?

Answer 1

¾ pounds raw green pigeon peas
3 cups water (used to precook the green pigeon peas)
2 cups white rice
2 ounces diced smoked ham
2 tablespoons corn oil
½ cup sofrito
¼ cup tomato sauce
1 teaspoon salt

For soaking the green pigeon peas:
1 quart water
2 teaspoons salt


Directions
Rinse the rice well and set aside.
Soak the raw green pigeon peas in 1 quart of water and 2 teaspoons of salt for about 15 minutes.
Rinse them and cook in 4 cups of water until they have softened. (TIP)
In a 4 quart cooking pan, add the oil and smoked ham and simmer over moderate heat for about 3 minutes while stirring.
Add the sofrito and tomato sauce and simmer for another 3 minutes while continuing to stir.
Turn up the heat to moderate high and add 2 tablespoons of the water that was set aside and the green pigeon peas. Simmer for 3 minutes while continuing to stir.
Raise the heat to high and add the water that was set aside. Once the water boils, add the rice.
Mix all the items well. Once the water starts to boil again, reduce the heat to moderate high and cook uncovered until most of the water has evaporated.
Reduce the heat to low, stir the rice again, then cover the pot with aluminum foil and put the lid on.
Cook for 15 minutes. Stir the rice and continue to cook until done. Sample the rice to see if it is done. It should be soft to chew. Makes approximately 6 servings.

Extras
On some (picky) electric stoves like mine, it is better to cook at a warm temperature rather than low. It takes a little longer but worth the wait.
Enjoy it. Let me know how it turned out.

Tips From The Rican Chef
If you want to know when the green pigeon peas are done, test them by picking up one pea in a spoon and squeezing it between 2 fingers

Answer 2

Arroz Con Gandules

Ingredients

16 oz can green pigeon peas
1/2 lb fresh pork, diced
1/2 lb bacon, diced
6 oz jar sofrito
4 oz can tomato sauce
2 oz jar alcaparrado, drained
1 1/2 c rice (uncooked)
1 ea packet sazon
2 1/2 c water
2 tb dry white wine (optional)
1 ts salt

Instructions

In large heavy pot, saute fresh pork & bacon until it begins to
release it's fat. Add sofrito, tomato sauce,alcaparrado, rice &
Sazon. Mix well. Add pigeon peas, water, wine,salt. Cook uncovered
over medium heat until water begins to boil. Cover, simmer 30 mins.

Answer 3

1..Arroz con Gandules
(rice and pigeon peas)

"Arroz con Gandules is Puerto Rico's best known dish. It is a Christmas treat in most Puerto Rican houseeholds.

The basic recipe should serve 8 adult diners.

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh pigeon peas, shelled and rinsed
8 cups water
pinch of salt (optional)
(alternately, two cans of boiled pigeon peas)
1 1/2 pounds pork meat, cut into one-inch cubes
1 tablespoonful Adobo (or mix ground oregano, salt and garlic powder in equal amounts)
2 teaspoonfuls olive oil
1 tablespoonful vegetable oil
4 ounces diced cooking ham, rinsed
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
1 cubanel pepper, seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium-sized tomato, chopped
1/3 teaspoonful ground garlic
2 1/2 cups medium-grain white rice, uncooked
1/3 cup green olives stuffed with peppers or onions, diced
1 teaspoonful capers
6 sprigs coliander, chopped
1 cup tomato sauce


Procedure:

Mix Adobo with the olive oil. Baste the pork meat with the mixture and allow to marinate while the pigeon peas are being cooked.

If using fresh pigeon peas, rinse and drain. In a large saucepan, combine the peas and water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Add the diced cooking ham (with bones), stir and cook for 15 more minutes. Drain, reserving 3 1/2 cups of the liquid, and set aside until needed.

In a large, non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the vegetable oil. Add the pork meat and saute for about two minutes. Add the onion, garlic, cubanel pepper, bell pepper, and tomato. Saute for another two minutes, stirring a few times.

Stir rice into the meat and vegetables. Stir in the green olives, capers, coliander, tomato sauce, and drained pigeon peas. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring continously.

Stir in the 3 1/2 cups of reserved liquid. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered over medium heat until almost all the water has evaporated. Time varies according to local conditions, but should take between ten and fifteen minutes. With a large wooden spoon, turn the rice and peas, folding so that the ingredients in the bottom of the pan trade places with those on top. Reduce the heat to very low, cover the pan, and cook for another 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Leftovers may be warmed in a microwave oven with a few drops of water added.

If you use canned pigeon peas: drain the peas and add enough water to their broth to make 3 1/2 cups of liquid. Add the pigeon peas as you fold the rice 15 minutes before serving.


2. Arroz Con Gandules


It's easy - give it a try.

2 cups short grain rice (rinsed) - long grain will work too
4-5 cups of hot water - appx.
½ cup ready made sofrito
16 ounce can of gandules (cooked green pigeon peas)
2 tablespoons of alcaparrado (cappers and olives mixed together)
1 packet of Sazon with achiote
1 can tomato sauce
3 tablespoons of oil
Salt & pepper to taste

In a medium size caldero add the oil, tomato sauce, alcaparrado, sofrito and sazon. Cook over medium heat for 4 minutes. Add all other ingredients, and enough water to cover the rice 1" above the rice line. Start with 1 teaspoon of salt stir and keep adding and mixing well until you are satisfied with the taste. Bring to a boil and cook over high heat until most of the water is absorbed. Once the water has been absorbed, stir gently from bottom to top - once or twice only, cover and turn the heat down to low. Cook for 30 minutes or until the rice is tender.

Stirring the rice after it has begun cooking may cause it go get sticky or "amogollao."

Any rice that sticks to the bottom of the pot is called "pegao" and is crispy and tasty and a favorite of all true Puerto Ricans. However, not everyone is skilled is making pegao - it is an art. To make great pegao make sure to use plenty of oil. Cook for about 10 minutes longer so the pegao gets crispy and keep your eye on it. Each time you cook rice - check to see how long it takes to make pegao just the way your family likes it. Finally - if you want a lot of pegao - use a bigger caldero which, of course, will have a larger bottom surface."
Source(s):
http://www.dollarman.com/puertorico/arro...
http://www.elboricua.com/arroz_con_gandu...

Answer 4

My husband had a brother-in-law from Puerto Rico and he'd eaten this when he visited his sister's family. He could not make me understand what in the world he was describing and it was only after his death that I found a can of pigeon peas in a supermarket. To the person who submitted the recipe....I'll have to try it!