I got home from work the other day, exhausted from day 1 of Orientation at the new job, and was greeted by a steaming pile of Pigeon Peas that one of my roommates had prepared.
At first glace I thought they were lentils, same appearance and almost the same mouth feel. Pleasantly salty and with a taste that can be best described as a mix of English peas and lentils, I found myself motivated to find out more.
Doing some digging I found that Pigeon Peas are most common grown in arid regions such as South Asia, Australia, and the Dominican Republic. The peas are very high in Nitrogen making it an ideal crop for nitrogen fixation.
Pigeon peas are a variable meat market of nutrients, containing high levels of protein , amino acids methionine, lysine, and everyone’s favorite turkey component; tryptophan.
To go with the Pigeon peas he has thrown together some chicken with a tomato and cranberry sauce, simple and very delicious.
Treat pigeon peas as you would a lentil, cooking them in heavily salted boiling water.
**Worth a read: Eggbeater: Chef Owners Who Work The Line.. Enjoy!**
I have only seen pigeon peas on blogs, but would love to hunt them down and give them a try. Love the new blog-site!
Deb;
Try this place, there might be a good chance they have them
Mi Sueno LLC Tienda Hispana/Spanish Grocery
Mi Sueno is a Spanish Grocery Store,that specializes in items from every spanish Culture, which include: Cuba, Columbia, Salvador, Puerto Rico, Panama, Equador, Argentina, Mexico,Venezuela, etc
1501 Big Bethel Road, Hampton VA 23666
Look for them canned, thats probably your best bet..
If not, let me know I can def get you some from here in Miami!
That looks very tasty. I wonder if they would be good done in an Indian style!
Ulla;
Theyre used a lot in Indian cuisine, talked to a former classmate from India the other day and asked him.. very commonly used
Pigeon peas in their dried husked form are the very common tuvar (toor) dal.
I buy them from our main grocery store here in Milwaukee, WI. Pick N Save. They are with the canned Chickpeas and other Mexican foods. I have added them to my cabbage soup for nutritional value.