Jamaican “Peas” and Rice

This dish is called “Jamaican peas and rice,” but in this case the peas are actually kidney beans. This is a nicely spiced Caribbean slow-cooking dish that will give you lots of protein along with rich, complex flavors. A perfect wintertime family dinner!

Ingredients

1/2 cup red kidney beans (dry)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 scotch bonnet pepper (found in produce section)
1 chopped onion
2 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 sprigs thyme
2 cups long grain brown rice
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 chopped scallions
2 cups water

Preparation process

Rinse the kidney beans with cool water, strain and pour into a large bowl.

Add 2 cups of water to the bowl and soak for at least 2 hours.

Once soaked, pour the beans and water into a deep sauce pan, along with the scallions, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, allspice and thyme.

As it comes to a boil, add the scotch bonnet pepper whole, then cover the pot and reduce to a gentle simmer.
Let simmer for 40 minutes to 1 hour, or until the beans become tender.

Place the rice into a bowl with cold water, then massage the rice to remove any impurities. The water will become cloudy as you continue. Drain the water, then add the water and repeat the massaging until the water
stops becoming cloudy during the massage process.

Add the rice to the pot, then stir in the coconut milk and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover the pot and cook for another 30 minutes.

Remove the thyme sprigs and the scotch bonnet pepper and serve.

Want to make this and need the written instructions? Just click here to download the full recipe.

Can’t find the scotch bonnet pepper at your store? Here is a great scotch bonnet pepper sauce that will also do the trick (and you can use either a little or a lot, depending on how hot you want this dish to be).  Click the image below for the details.