Authentic Jamaican Rice and Peas
Rice and peas is a staple in any Jamaican household and almost always a must-have on the dinner table on Sundays. Contrary to it’s name, it is made with beans – most classically red kidney beans as you’ll see here but can also be made with gungo (pigeon peas).
It’s the perfect aromatic blend of flavors with the rice being cooked to perfection in creamy coconut milk and seasoned with garlic, allspice and thyme.
Rice and peas is a delectable pairing with any of our traditional Sunday protein options like brown stew chicken or curried goat and is perfect for any occasion, whether you’re hosting a Jamaican-inspired dinner party or simply looking for a comforting, flavorful meal!
tips for success
- Use a fragrant rice. Traditionally rice and peas is made with plain, long grain white rice and, don’t get me wrong, it gets the job done! But using a fragrant rice like Jasmine or Basmati rice adds an extra layer of delicate tropical flavor to the dish! Long-grain white rice is a perfectly fine substitute if you have neither Jasmine or Basmati available.
- Powdered coconut milk. I’m all for working smarter not harder. I vaguely remember an aunt grating coconut and then “milking” it straight into the pot for the Sunday rice and peas but that’s a lot of hassle and in true millennial style I want it now! Using powdered coconut milk is not only convenient, it’s how I’m able to get a super concentrated coconut milk flavor in my rice and peas without adding too much liquid which would make my rice sticky & gluey.
My go to is from Grace Foods and I can usually find it alongside options from other brands in chain grocery stores and even Walmart.
If you do not use powdered coconut milk swap out your water for an equal amount of full fat coconut milk. - Always opt for the freshest herbs possible. All the herbs/seasoning used in the recipe can be substituted for their dried versions but the fresh herbs tend to carry a more distinct and vibrant flavor throughout the dish. I tie sprigs of fresh thyme together and drop them in my pot along with freshly cracked and ground allspice!
- Minimize how often you open the pot and how often you stir. Every time you open your pot you allow heat to escape – your rice doesn’t absorb the liquid as efficiently and you can end up with unevenly cooked or gluey rice. Also minimize your stirring as this would also involve the pot being opened and heat escaping but the more you agitate the rice, the more starch you release in your cooking liquid. Starch equals a sticky rice instead of a fluffy one.
- Rinse your rice. As mentioned before, we want the rice to be fluffy. Rinsing the rice before cooking helps to get rid of the excess starch which would make the rice – yup you guessed it – sticky!
Servings: 6 servings
Equipment
- 1 medium pot
- kitchen twine
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups white Jasmine rice or long-grain white rice
- 1 1/4 cups red kidney beans drained (dark red works as well)
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 1/3 cup coconut milk powder
- 2 TBSP butter or butter substitute (unsalted)
- 10-12 sprigs thyme
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 stalk green onion
- 1 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1 1/4 tsp salt reduce to taste if using butter or butter substitute that already contains salt
Instructions
- Rinse rice with warm water until water runs clear
- Chop green onions and tie together thyme sprigs with kitchen twine.
- In a medium pot over medium-high heat add add all ingredients and mix with a spoon to distribute evenly ensuring coconut milk powder is fully dissolved.
- Once mixture begins to simmer turn stove down to lowest setting, cover and let steam.
- Check on rice at about the 20-25 minute mark. It should be almost cooked and rice grains should be mostly translucent. If rice grains are still mostly firm/opaque too much water may have evaporated. Add a little water (3-4 tablespoons) at a time to help create steam then cover immediately and allow to cook until translucent (about 15-20 more minutes)Tip: It's always better to to add a little less water than needed since you can always add more but you can't fix a rice that is too wet.
- Once rice is done, fluff with a fork before serving then enjoy!
Don’t be shy!Tag me on IG at @thestushkitchen & show off your cooking skills! I can’t wait to see what you cook up!
If you’ve never had rice and peas, you need to try this recipe!! I can literally devour an entire pot in one sitting.