Go for peas

PIGEON peas, also called gungo peas in Jamaica and gandulas in Latin America are easy to cook, versatile and delicious. They are in season now so we can enjoy them fresh. If you love them as much as I do then you can stock up by shelling lots and freezing them, if you can tolerate those pesky little worms, I can’t!

If you can’t find them fresh you can buy them canned. They are also available frozen as well; this is usually my choice.

Use them any way you please, in the ubiquitous Trinidadian pelau, curried, stewed, in patties and soups the possibilities are endless! Don’t forget they are packed with protein and minerals.

Pigeon peas soup

2 tbs vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 onions, chopped

¼ cup chopped celery

¼ cup chopped chives

1 large sprig fresh thyme

4 ozs pumpkin, chopped

1 carrot chopped

1 lb fresh pigeon peas or one 14 oz tin

½ cup freshly made tomato sauce

2 cloves

1 hot pepper, left whole

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

½ tsp sugar

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

In a large soup pot, heat oil, add garlic and onion, sauté until fragrant and tender, about 4 minutes.

Add celery, chives, thyme, stir to combine.

Add pumpkin and carrot, stir and add pigeon peas, stir well.

Add tomato sauce, cloves, and hot pepper, cook for a few minutes more.

Add stock sugar, salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes,

If using fresh peas, cook for about 45 minutes.

Remove hot pepper.

Remove half the soup and puree in blender.

Return to pot and stir, add a little more broth or water to thin if necessary.

Bring to a boil, once again before serving.

Serves 4 to 6 as a main course.

Eastern style pigeon peas

2 cups pigeon peas, precooked

2 tbs vegetable oil

1 tsp garlic

1 large onion, pureed with one inch piece of ginger

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp ground coriander seed

½ tsp turmeric or saffron powder

1⁄3 cup pureed tomatoes

1 cup sliced mushrooms

½ cup evaporated milk

2 tbs chopped chadon beni

Heat oil in a sauté pan, add cumin seeds and cook until they sizzle, add the onion and ginger puree with the garlic, stir and cook this mixture until it begins to brown.

Add geera or cumin, chilli powder, coriander and turmeric, stir well and cook for a few seconds more.

Add pigeon peas, and stir, add mushroom and stir, cook for a few seconds, add tomato.

Cook for about 2 minutes, add milk and cover.

Simmer stirring occasionally until mixture becomes thick, about 10 minutes.

Add a little water or broth to prevent sticking if necessary.

Add chadon beni and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Mixture should be thick with a little sauce.

Serves 4

Curried seim and pigeon peas

Seim is a bean similar to green beans, with peas inside the pods. They do need more cooking time and cannot be eaten raw.

1 tbs vegetable oil

1 lb fresh seim, cut into one inch pieces, string removed

1 cup cooked pigeon peas

1 onion thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 hot pepper, seeded and chopped

1 tomato

2 tbs curry powder, dissolved in 1/3 cup water

Heat oil in sauté pan, add garlic, onion and peppers, cook until fragrant and onion begins to turn brown, add curry paste and cook until water has evaporated, add seim and stir to combine.

Add pigeon peas and stir, add a small amount of water and cover, cook until tender, stirring occasionally and only adding water when necessary.

Cook for 30 minutes until tender.

Serves 4 to 6

Pigeon pea burgers with parsley and thyme

1 tbs olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic chopped

1 tbs fresh thyme

1 tbs chopped chives

½ hot pepper, seeded and chopped

1 large potato boiled, peeled and crushed

1 lb pigeon peas, cooked

¼ cup chopped parsley

¼ cup olive oil.

Heat olive oil in a frying pan and sauté onion, garlic, thyme, chives and hot pepper, for about one minute, remove and add to potato, mix well, add peas and season with salt. Add parsley.

Form mixture into about 8 patties and shallow fry in more olive oil.

Serves 4