AI-generated image
Quinchoncho guisado
Stewed pigeon peas with pumpkin
Quinchoncho guisado: pigeon peas stewed with sofrito and pumpkin, eaten in Lara and the East
In Lara and across eastern Venezuela, quinchonchos (pigeon peas) are cooked during Holy Week and on ordinary weekdays alike, stewed with a sofrito of onion, sweet ají dulce and garlic and thickened with pumpkin that melts into the broth. It's eaten with white rice, arepas or a wedge of fried plantain, and many homes add pork; this version keeps it meat-free. The common mistake is adding the pumpkin too early so it disappears. Chef's tip: put the pumpkin in for the last 20 minutes, then mash a few pieces against the pot to thicken the stew.
- Total time
- 105 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 14 oz dried pigeon peassoaked overnight in cold water
- 8 ¼ cups water
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp ground annatto (onoto)
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 1 red pepperfinely chopped
- 4 ají dulce (sweet chilli peppers)seeded and chopped
- 3 cloves garliccrushed
- 3 spring onionssliced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 14 oz pumpkinpeeled, 3 cm chunks
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ½ oz fresh corianderchopped
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Fresh ingredients (5)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Drain 14 oz dried pigeon peas, put them in a large pot with 8 ¼ cups water and simmer, partly covered, for 60 minutes, until tender and creamy inside.
60 minStep 2: Meanwhile heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, stir in 1 tsp ground annatto (onoto), then fry 1 onion, 1 red pepper, 4 ají dulce (sweet chilli peppers), 3 cloves garlic and 3 spring onions for 8 minutes, until soft and sweet. Stir in 1 tsp ground cumin.
10 minStep 4: Mash a few pumpkin pieces against the side of the pot and stir until the stew thickens. Scatter with ½ oz fresh coriander.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- Protein
- 17 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 14 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does quinchoncho guisado take?
- About 105 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 90 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of red pepper?
- Any colour of bell pepper, same amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Sayur lodehVegetables in coconut milk
Sayur lodeh is everyday cooking in Central Java, made in big pots in Solo and Semarang kitchens and ladled over rice, with lontong rice cakes at Lebaran, or alongside opor and sambal goreng on festive tables. It's soupy rather than thick: a fragrant broth of coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass and lime leaf that carries chunks of aubergine, long beans, chayote and sweetcorn, plus tempeh and tofu to make it a meal. The flavour is mellow and slightly sweet, so the heat comes from sambal on the side. Chef's tip: keep the pot at a gentle simmer once the coconut milk goes in and stir now and then — a rolling boil splits the coconut milk into oily curds.
Indonesian
Chana masala
A North Indian staple that comes together from the store cupboard. Toasted cumin, slow-softened onion and a good spoonful of garam masala give tinned chickpeas real depth. Serve with rice, naan or a stack of warm rotis.
Indian
Bagara bainganBaby aubergines in peanut sesame sauce
Bagara baingan is a Hyderabadi wedding dish of small aubergines cooked whole in a dark, tangy gravy of roasted peanuts, sesame, dried coconut and tamarind. Unlike a Gujarati stuffed brinjal, the aubergines here are only quartered at the base and fried until silky, then left to soak up a thin-but-rich sauce that is finished with a tempering, the 'baghar' that gives the dish its name. It's sour, nutty and gently spiced, and is served with biryani, bagara rice or plain rice. Chef's tip: choose small, glossy purple aubergines that feel heavy for their size; soft, light ones are full of seeds and turn mushy before the gravy has a chance to cling.