Pelau is a popular dish in Trinidad and Tobago that is enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. It is a rice dish that is cooked with meat, vegetables, and spices, and is usually served as a one-pot meal. While chicken is traditionally used in pelau, it is a versatile dish that can be made with any type of meat, from pork to beef to lamb. In this recipe, we will be making a trini pelau using lamb, which adds a unique and delicious flavor to the dish.
Lamb is a tender and flavorful meat that is perfect for pelau, and it pairs well with the other ingredients in the dish. This recipe is easy to follow and requires only a few simple ingredients, making it a great option for a quick and satisfying meal. So let’s get started and learn how to make this delicious trini pelau with lamb.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Course: Rice Dishes
Cuisine: Caribbean
Ingredients
- 2 cups rice uncooked
- 1 tin peas and carrots 425 g
- 4 pieces of lamb shoulder or 1 1/2 lbs lamb cut up into cubes
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 onion
- 1 hot pepper
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 pimento peppers
- 4 sprigs chive
- 4 leaves big leaf thyme
- 3 sprigs fine leaf thyme
- 12 leaves chadon beni
- 25 g of coconut powder or 1 cup coconut milk
- 2 tbsp sugar
- Water
Instructions
- Cut up the lamb into 2 ” pieces. Season with the garlic, big leaf thyme, chive, onion, chadon beni, pimento pepper, fine leaf thyme, and salt. Marinate for at least an hour.
- Add about 2 cups of water to the pressure cooker and add the marinated lamb. Pressure cook for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside. Save the stock for later.
- Caramelize the sugar. Add the lamb. Stir it up to evenly coat with the sugar. Then let it cook it its juices for about 2 minutes. Add the coconut milk and the lamb stock.
- Then add the rice and a little water and simmer for a about 15 minutes or until the rice looks half cooked. Then add the peas and carrots. Add the hot pepper and some water and simmer for 5 – 10 minutes.
- Adjust salt if necessary. Set the flame on low to evaporate the rest of water. Remove the hot pepper (make sure not to burst it).
- Serve hot with a side of cole slaw and a piece of ripe Zaboca (Avocado).
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Recipe © Simply Trini Cooking. All rights reserved
Lamb Pelau
Ingredients
- 2 cups rice uncooked
- 1 tin peas and carrots 425 g
- 4 pieces of lamb shoulder or 1 1/2 lbs lamb cut up into cubes
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 onion
- 1 hot pepper
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 pimento peppers
- 4 sprigs chive
- 4 leaves big leaf thyme
- 3 sprigs fine leaf thyme
- 12 leaves chadon beni
- 25 g of coconut powder or 1 cup coconut milk
- 2 tbsp sugar
- Water
Instructions
- Cut up the lamb into 2 ” pieces. Season with the garlic, big leaf thyme, chive, onion, chadon beni, pimento pepper, fine leaf thyme, and salt. Marinate for at least an hour.
- Add about 2 cups of water to the pressure cooker and add the marinated lamb. Pressure cook for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside. Save the stock for later.
- Caramelize the sugar. Add the lamb. Stir it up to evenly coat with the sugar. Then let it cook it its juices for about 2 minutes. Add the coconut milk and the lamb stock.
- Then add the rice and a little water and simmer for a about 15 minutes or until the rice looks half cooked. Then add the peas and carrots. Add the hot pepper and some water and simmer for 5 – 10 minutes.
- Adjust salt if necessary. Set the flame on low to evaporate the rest of water. Remove the hot pepper (make sure not to burst it).
- Serve hot with a side of cole slaw and a piece of ripe Zaboca (Avocado).