Rice and Peas
A traditional dish perfected the second time around.
The first time I made rice and peas, it turned into mush. I was told to let all the water steam away and I think I left it cooking too long. This time, I wasn’t too worried about it. You need a little moisture to make it fluffy, anyway.
The recipe I used was from a cookbook entitled “Authentic Recipes from Jamaica.” It was the simplest recipe I found that didn’t involve me pillaging food markets for a real coconut or a special type of beans. It is very straightforward. I made this with my Teriyaki Chicken (coming up in the next post).
Teriyaki Chicken with Rice and Peas
The only piece of advice I could give is to choose your pot wisely. Use a nonstick pot, if you can find one. I used a regular pot, and because I have a gas stove, the rice decided to stick to the bottom. I personally do not mind the crust. In the Middle east, there’s a dish that utilizes the burned crust as an integral part of the dish. But that’s another post to come.
Here’s the recipe. Enjoy!
RICE AND PEAS (from Authentic Recipes from Jamaica by John DeMers)
1 cup (200 g) fried kidney beans, soaked overnight ** OR 1 Can of Kidney Beans, rinsed **
4 cups (1 liter) coconut milk
1 clove garlic, minced
2 spring onions, thinly sliced ** OR 1 small white onion, thinly sliced **
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves OR 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups uncooked riced, washed and drained
2 cups (500 ml) water
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1. Drain the soaked peas and combine them with the coconut milk in a medium saucepan. Cook, covered, over medium heat until the beans are tender but not mushy, about 1 hour.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and cook, covered, until the rice absorbs all the liquid, about 15 minutes.
Rice and Peas
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One comment
Looks great !
Def agree that pot choice is key. However in my family we do love a little bit of “gratin” (the lightly singed rice at the bottom).
In Haitian cooking we don’t always use coconut milk. We do however put a few cloves (no mroe than 3-5 or they’ll overpower the rice) or an UNOPENED chili pepper into the rice while we let the rice cook.
Another way to make the rice fluffy and amazing is to really take care when you wash it. When you think you’re done washing rice, you aren’t. Experiment with the water that rinses off – sometimes I wash it until the water rinses off clear.
This recipe is also really good with sweet peas, black beans, black eyed peas (not my fave), lima beans (you get the idea – LOL)
We should talk about the amazing sauces that often go along with rice and beans/peas too !