Rice and peas
By: Gary Rhodes From: Rhodes Across The Caribbean
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Rice and peas
- Prep time:
- 10 mins
- Cook time:
- 1 hrs 5 mins
- Serves:
- 4
Junior Francis shows Gary Rhodes how to make this traditional Caribbean dish, which is the perfect accompaniment to high spiced meat or poultry dishes. It should really be called rice and beans though, since there is not a pea in sight.
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Ingredients
- 175g red Kidney beans
- 4 Tomatoes, peeled, seeds removed and chopped, optional
- 3 Spring onions, chopped, optional
- 2 Onions, finely chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
- 4 sprigs Thyme, enough to give ½ tsp fresh leaves, plus extra for finishing
- 25g Butter
- 350g long grain rice
- 2 x 400ml cans coconut milk
- freshley ground black pepper
Method
1. Drain the pre-soaked kidney beans, reserving the water. Put them in a pan and cover with the soaking water. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Skim any foam from the surface and discard.2. Add the tomatoes and chopped spring onion (if using) along with the onions, garlic, thyme and butter to the beans and continue simmering for about 45 minutes, or until tender. Season well.
3. Pour in the coconut milk and add the rice – the liquid should cover the grains by about 3-4cm. Top up with extra hot water if you need to. Stir well, cover with a lid, and simmer for a further 15-20 minutes, or until rice is tender. Stir occasionally as it cooks to prevent the rice catching on the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with a few extra thyme leaves to finish.
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Latest Comment
View all comments (12)rice and pease with chicken or curried goat,yummyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
Again..... Beans??? hummmm..... As the old saying at school went.... "Rice and Peas and burn up banana..." i.e Rice and Peas with Plantain..... As my late mum often said... Do the basics and do them well.... Not overly impressed with the impression Mr Rhodes is portraying of Carribean Food.... I can see him doing Curried Goat and not using Goat......
First time I have cooked Caribbean food. I did not use tomatos. I think I added a little too much water, so the rice may have been a bit overcooked, but it was still one of the nicest things I have made. Can't wait to try some more Caribbean dishes.
Rice and peas is eaten across the Caribbean, however, it does vary. People from other islands tend to use other peas and beans rather than kidney beans . I much prefer gunga peas or 'green' peas (not the uk type!) No tomatoes either.
Mr Bajan you know nothing. Jamaican rice and peas is mainly with red kidney beans, hence the lovely colour of the rice and peas. Very few Jamaicans use gungo peas! You learnt from Jamaica - remember?
I have always used kidney beans in my rice and so has my father
It was tasty and full of flavour, so I won't be joining the beans
also no tomatoes are used in this recipe! its just, escellion
mr bajan who has sailed around the caribean, you dont know anything! This dish is generally cooked with kidney beans, otherwise called red peas in jamaica. Gungo peas si sometimes used, its vice versa really depending on personal taste!
I'm open to regional variation and all, but sorry, the Bajan speaks right. No-one I know from both Jamaica or Barbados uses kidney beans, only gunga beans. Can't imagine it with anything else.
I am a jamaican and you can use kidney beans in this dish if you want. It is only like christmas time we use gunga peas in with the rice, so the the bajan should not talk what they do not know about.
I am a Bajan, and have sailed around the Caribbean several times. Kidney beans SHOULD NOT be used in this dish, the locals use Gunga beans (also known as pigeon peas), Now available here.
cultivated th