Guandules con Coco [Video+Recipe] Pigeon Peas with Coconut

This guandules con coco recipe (pigeon peas with coconut) is one of our favorites, one guaranteed to delight your guests with the most amazing dish from Samaná.

📝 Ingredients

• 3 cups fresh guandules (pigeon peas) (or 4 cups canned, or 3 cups dry-then-boiled)
• 2 tablespoon vegetable oil ((soy, corn or peanut))
• 1 small red onion (cut into quarters)
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano (dry, ground)
• 2 clove garlic (mashed)
• 2 ají gustoso ((cachuchas, ají dulce, ajicitos) crushed (optional))
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme ((or 1 tsp. dry leaves))
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 3 cups water ((aprox.))
• 2 cups diced auyama (kabocha squash) (or kabocha squash)
• 3 sprigs parsley ((or cilantro) minced)
• 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- 1. Cook seasonings ---
2. 2Cook seasonings: In a pot heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook and stir until it becomes translucent. Add oregano, garlic, ajíes gustosos, and thyme. Cook and stir for a minute.
3. 3--- 2. Sautee ---
4. 4Sauteing: Add the pigeon peas. Cook stirring until they are heated through. Change heat to low. Follow the next step only If you are cooking with fresh guandules. Skip the next step if you are using boiled-from-dry or canned guandules.
5. 5--- 3. Cooking fresh guandules ---
6. 6Cooking fresh guandules: Cover and let it cook over low heat, stirring often until the guandules are soft when you pinch them (about 35 minutes if freshly shelled, five to ten minutes if boiled or canned).There should be no need to add water, but add a couple of tablespoons if it becomes necessary to prevent it from burning.
7. 7--- 4. Stewing ---
8. 8Stewing: Add the coconut milk and 3 cups of water (this can be the liquid you reserved from boiling, if you used dry guandules ). Once heated through, mash a bit to crush some of the guandules
9. 9--- 5. Cooking auyama ---
10. 10Cooking auyama: Add the auyama and boil over medium heat until it is cooked through and the peas reach a creamy consistency, adding more water as it becomes necessary to maintain the same level. Stir often to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Remove the onion pieces and thyme (if you used fresh sprigs).Season with salt to taste and simmer for another two minutes.
11. 11--- 6. Serving ---
12. 12Serving: Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley and serve per suggestions above.