“Original taste of the Caribbean”
Rice & peas plays a very important role in the art of Caribbean cooking. In Jamaica, it forms an integral part of the traditional sunday afternoon meal. When I was growing up, people would look forward the sunny Caribbean Sunday dinners; so if dinners during the week consisted of the mere basic, the Sunday Rice & Peas would make up for it. Some people added corned beef, corned pork or 1/2 cup of stock from the meat pot, to the stew to make the flavours more finger licking.
NB: This recipe varies from island to island. For example in Barbados, the peas is cooked separately from the rice throughout the entire cooking process.
I have written the recipe in 3 easy stages. So why not give this recipe a try.
Jamaican Rice & Peas
Ingredients for stage 1
1 cup of kidney or gungo peas
1 clove garlic
1 bay leaf
salt
to taste
Place all the above in a thick bottomed sauce pan in a small amount of water
just to cover the peas. Bring to the boil and top-up with cold water to almost fill
the pan.
Bring to the boil and reduce heat, cover and cook until beans are tender.
Ingredients
for stage 2
1 stalk of roughly chopped spring onions
1 sprig of fresh thyme
1/2 tin
of coconut milk
1/2 tsp brown sugar
Put all the above in the stage 1 mixture and simmer
on medium heat for a further 15 mins. Correct seasoning with salt and cracked pepper
to taste. Liquid in pot should be just under half way.
Ingredients for stage 3
500
grams basmati or long grain rice
Wash rice and add to the "stew."
Cover with lid and
bring to boil. Reduce heat to very low until rice is steamed.
You could do stage 3
in a rice cooker.
If using tinned peas, empty contents in pan, use same seasoning
in stage 1, half the pan with water, bring to the boil for 15 mins, and go straight
to stage 2.
Serve with any meat or vegetarian stew.
If you would like to learn more,
you can attend one of my cookery classes in London. See details on the "Cookery Course"
page.
Happy cooking!
Marsha