Jamaican Rice And Peas
There are many recipes for this dish. They all yield a very tasty rice and peas in the end.
Jamaican Rice and Peas (Mom)
This is perhaps the most popular dish in Jamaica. It' usually cooked every Sunday and eaten throughout the week as leftovers. It's really good as leftovers.
Also, sometimes it sticks to the bottom of the pot a little bit if it just starts to burn; we call it "bun bun" and that part is really good to eat :-).
Ingredients
- As with many Jamaican recipes there are variations to the recipe depending on who cooks it.
- 1/2 pack of Red Kidney Beans or 3/4 pack of Gungo Peas
- 4 Cups White Rice
- 1 whole dried coconut or 1 can of coconut milk
- Cloves of garlic
- Sprig of Thyme
- Scallion (spring onion)
- 1/4 stick of cooking Butter
- Salt
- Pimento (optional)
- 1 Green Scotch bonnet pepper
Instructions
1. Chop the garlic
2. Pick and wash the peas in the same pot in which you will be cooking
3. Add water to the peas to completely cover them and then some. Marinate overnight and continue the next step the next day. You may need to additional water as the peas would have soaked up all the water.
4. Grate the coconut and add some water to the grated coconut; extract the coconut milk by first stirring the mixture with your hand and then squeezing it and putting the coconut in a separate dish. Use a strainer to remove the remaining coconut pieces from the milk. Add some more water to the coconut and repeat the process. You can take the easy way out and just buy coconut milk in a can.
5. Boil the peas and the coconut milk with the garlic until the peas is soft; you may need to add additional water depending on how long the peas takes to cook
6. When the peas is cooked, add the salt, pepper, scallion and thyme, plus two cups of water; allow to come to a boil
7. Wash the rice thoroughly
8. Add the rice to the mixture and stir using a fork
9. Turn the flame down low so the rice does not burn; allow the rice to cook/simmer; cover the pot.
Once done, eat when warm with your desired meat.
Notes
It is very easy to burn, so ensure that you've turned down the flame of the stove.
Jamaican Rice and Peas (Sharon)
This is a very popular dish in Jamaica and one that is eaten at least once a week, usually on a Sunday. This is one of many recipes for this dish.
Ingredients
- As with many Jamaican recipes there are variations to the recipe depending on who cooks it. Thi is the recipe my friend Sharon uses:
- 2lbs. White Rice
- 1/2 Pack of red beans
- 1 packet of coconut milk
- Seasoning
- - Garlic
- - Pimento seeds
- - Salt to taste
- - Parsley
- - Thyme
- - Black Pepper
- - Country pepper
- - escallion
- - onion
Instructions
Pick and wash the beans, then add the following seasoning:
Garlic, Pimento seeds, Salt to taste and Parsley.
Now as with any Jamaican cooking, the ingredients are never exact; this is just what I used to make this particular dinner. Basically, use as much of the seasoning as suits your taste.
Put the pot on the fire at medium heat and bring to a boil.
Add butter then allow to simmer. Add cold water to "sink the peas." Add coconut milk, thyme, pepper, escallion, onion.
Once the peas is cooked, add the rice.
How do you know the peas is cooked? It will be soft when you press it between your fingers.
Notes
It is very easy to burn, so ensure that you've turned down the flame of the stove.
Have you ever cooked this item? Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.
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