Rice and Peas (Jamaican) - Oceanian Recipe

Rice and Peas (Jamaican)

🌍 Oceanian, Jamaican Difficulty: ●●●○○

"Peas" in Jamaica means kidney beans or pigeon peas; this dish is the cornerstone of Sunday dinner and has deep roots in West African rice-and-legume combinations brought by enslaved people.

Ingredients

• 400 g long-grain rice
• 1 can (400 g) kidney beans (or gungo peas / pigeon peas), drained (reserve liquid)
• 400 ml coconut milk
• 400 ml water (plus reserved bean liquid)
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 green onions, whole
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 Scotch bonnet, whole and intact
• 1.5 tsp salt

Method

1. Combining — Combine coconut milk, water, bean liquid, garlic, green onions, thyme, and Scotch bonnet in a large pot.
2. Step 2 — Bring to a boil; add salt and kidney beans.
3. Adding — Add rice; stir once and bring back to a simmer.
4. Covering — Cover tightly and cook on very low heat for 20–22 minutes without lifting the lid.
5. Removing — Remove from heat; rest covered for 5 minutes.
6. Step 6 — Discard green onions, thyme stems, and Scotch bonnet (do not burst it or the dish will be very hot).
7. Step 7 — Fluff rice with a fork; serve as the base for jerk chicken, stewed oxtail, or curried goat.

Tags: long-grain rice, kidney beans, coconut milk, garlic, green onions · Source: Brittani's Almanac