St. Helena Plo

As we mentioned in our earlier post on St. Helena and May 21st, the tiny island of St. Helena has a special connection with the sainted empress: not only is it named after her, but it was also discovered on her feast day! Thus, the feast of St. Helena is both a religious holiday and a national holiday to the few thousand residents who live there.

History

Every year, the citizens of St. Helena celebrate this feast with a parade, a church service, games, and traditional foods.

Today we share with you one of those traditional foods. In this St. Helena tradition, we have a tangible example of how the life story of one saint can affect the history of a people thousands of miles away and a millennium later. What an exciting thought for all of our Lord’s saints alive today!

Recipe

Plo is a unique and delicious traditional dish from St. Helena. While the origins of the dish are unknown, the ingredients are things that are commonly used in the local cuisine, and the dish has become a staple at the island’s social events. Its spicy yet fresh flavor palette combines the spices of curry and the warmth of Spanish paella into a simple single pot dish!

Plo of St. Helena

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef or chicken

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon coconut sugar (or any sugar)

1 can tomato paste

4 potatoes, chopped

½ cabbage, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 tomato, chopped

1 sweet potato, chopped (optional)

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup rice

Worcestershire sauce to taste

Salt to taste

1 can of corn (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a dutch oven or pot and cook meat. When meat is cooked through, sauté the onion until it starts to brown.
2. Add the curry powder, garlic powder, sugar, and can of tomato paste. Cook for about a minute.
3. Add in your chopped vegetables to the meat mixture. Then pour 1 cup of chicken broth into the dutch oven, covering all of the ingredients. If the chicken broth did not cover all the ingredients, add enough water to the pot to do so. Put your lid on and cook for about 10 minutes.
4. Add the rice and season to taste with salt and a dash of Worcestershire sauce.
5. Cover and bring to a boil and simmer gently until the water has evaporated and the rice is close to being cooked through. Be sure to stir regularly to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add more water as you go, if necessary.
6. When the rice seems nearly cooked through, add the can of corn. Cook 5 more minutes with the lid off of the dutch oven.
7. The dish is done once the rice seems completely soft. Enjoy this dish while hot!