Pelau

Pelau is a traditional rice dish from the West Indies (Guadeloupe, Dominica and Caribbean countries such as Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada and the Virgin Islands. Its main ingredients typically include meat (usually chicken or beef), rice, pigeon peas or cowpeas, coconut milk and sugar. Various vegetables and optional spices can be added. Common spices used in the dish are cardamom, cloves, cumin, and coriander. The meat is caramelised in brown sugar along with onion and garlic and the other ingredients are then added one by one, resulting in a dark brown stew.

An alternative preparation method is to sauté the meat, precook the rice, prepare the dish and bake it in the oven. Side dishes are optional; coleslaw is a typical one. Pelau shares its origins with pilaf, a rice dish from Central Asia, the Middle East, East Africa, South Asia, and Spain, with their original version of their dish, Paella. Pelau is a Creole dish. When the island was under Spanish colonial rule, their version of Paella was passed down to the slaves who transformed the dish. The caramelisation of the meat goes back to African preparation traditions. Over the course of time, the basic method of preparing pilaf, the caramelisation of meat and influences of the Trinidadian cuisine (especially with regards to available ingredients) mingled into today's pelau.