Rice and Peas
Total Time 3 Hours 15 Mins
If you want to cook like a Jamaican you need to learn how to make Rice and Peas! It’s a staple in Jamaican cuisine, and a tradition on most Sunday tables. – Mama Fay
What most people call beans we call peas. For this recipe we use kidney beans instead of the harder to find red peas. You’ll need to soak the dried beans overnight to reconstitute them and then cook them for about 1 hour to use them in this recipe. Cooking the peas from “scratch” is the traditional way to make rice and peas, but for those with less time on your hands I have a Quick Jamaican Rice and Peas Recipe using canned beans that won’t disappoint.
Coconut is an important ingredient and I love to use creamed coconut. However, If you can’t find it where you shop you can substitute 1 cup of the water for 1 cup of coconut milk to get the same aromatic result.
Traditional Rice and Peas Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Dried Kidney Beans
- 4 cups (1L) Water
- 2 cloves Garlic chopped
- ½ package Creamed Coconut
- 1 Small onion or 2 stalks escallion chopped
- 2 tsp (10 mL) Salt
- ¼ tsp (1 mL) Black Pepper
- 1 tsp (5 mL) Dried Thyme
- A few slices Scotch Bonnet Pepper
- 2 cups (500 mL) Long Grain or Basmati Rice (rinsed and drained)
Instructions
- Overnight: Soak kidney beans in 2 cups of water overnight
- Place garlic, kidney beans and water they were soaked in into a large saucepan, cover and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to Medium and continue cooking until the beans are soft, about 1 hour
- Add coconut cream and stir until dissolved
- Add chopped onion, salt, black pepper to saucepan and stir in thyme and scotch bonnet pepper
- Stir in rice and remaining 2 cups of water and bring to a boil
- Turn heat to Low, cover pot and cook until all water is absorbed (about 15 to 20 min).
- Fluff up rice with a fork before serving.
Leave a Review
No Title
I make it at least once a week
No Title
I love this recipe! I added culantro/shadow Benny and small dumplings also. Delicious. Thank you for sharing.
No Title
Thank you for sharing, this has become one of my favourite go to recipes.
No Title
Love it
No Title
My husband and I love this recipe. He requests it all the time. Easy and delicious!!
No Title
Lovely recipe! Was so delicious and very moist, would make again