Rice & Peas Recipe, Jamaican Style

Few dishes are as closely identified with Jamaican cuisine as rice and peas.  Even though there are several variations of rice & beans served throughout the Caribbean, foreigners almost always associate this Caribbean dish with Jamaican cuisine. A lunch and dinner mainstay, Rice & Peas is found on Jamaican restaurant menus worldwide and at most Jamaican gatherings. In recent months I have seen more than a few chefs, some from reputable Jamaican establishments, touting “coconut rice& peas”. Fact is coconut milk is a standard ingredient in any authentic Jamaican Rice & Peas recipe. So regardless of what anyone tells you to make this tasty aromatic side dish coconut milk, thyme and scallions, or onion are a must. Red kidney beans and pigeon peas (gungo) peas are used interchangeably to prepare this dish. Gungo produces a nuttier flavor while they kidney beans impart a rich creamy flavor.

For making Rice & Peas. A can of precooked beans, or peas as Jamaicans call most beans works almost as well as cooking dried beans from scratch. Italists, vegans and other natural food devotees who follow a no processed food diet may choose to avoid canned beans. There are a number of way you can prepare dried beans. Options include a combination of soaking overnight and boiling till tender, pressure cooking or slow cooking. Regardless of the method you choose, the beans should be soft when you begin preparing your rice and peas recipe.

Rice & Peas Recipe, Jamaican Style

Sian Rose
Jamaican Rice and peas (not to be confused with Bahamian or Spanish Rice& Beans) is a Sunday tradition observed by many Jamaicans worldwide. Other Caribbean cultures have their own version of this dish referenced by other names but, the term “rice and peas” is used to describe the Jamaican version. Many smaller Caribbean island like Belize, Trinidad and Guyana have adopted the Jamaican version of this dish as their own. The peas in Jamaican rice & peas refers to kidney beans, though Gungo peas is a popular alternative.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Jamaican
Servings 5
Calories 562 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 – 15 oz. can red kidney beans
  • 1 – 14 oz. can coconut milk
  • 1 stalk scallion or ½ sm onion, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • 1 TB butter, or margarine
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 C water
  • 2 C uncooked rice

Instructions
 

  • Add all ingredients except rice and water to the pot. Heat through. Cover the pot and let it simmer for 10 minutes over med-low heat. Add rice, stir with fork. Cover and let it cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Check rice for tenderness. If done turn off the heat. If rice grains are still hard, add ¼ cup water and cook for an additional 5 to 7 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Video

Keyword Caribbean cuisine, rice and peas

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