Rice & Peas
Recipe for Jamaican/West Indian side dish of rice and peas. I first got it from a site called recipes4us.co.uk when I was looking for how to make this to accompany some Reggae Reggae Chicken I was cooking.
Recipe for Jamaican/West Indian side dish of rice and peas. I first got it from a site called recipes4us.co.uk when I was looking for how to make this to accompany some Reggae Reggae Chicken I was cooking.
- Carbohydrate 105.13973225 g
- Cholesterol 7.7885 mg
- Fat 24.92829425 g
- Fiber 3.91874995970726 g
- Protein 13.7948795 g
- Saturated Fat 20.838344375 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (337g)
- Sodium 518.718425 mg
- Sugar 101.220982290293 g
- Trans Fat 1.597473375 g
- Calories 694 calories
Step-by-step
- Drain the liquid from the can of beans into a measuring jug, add the coconut mile and enough water to make up 960ml/32fl.oz of liquid,
- Place the liquids into a large saucepan, together with the beans, onion, garlic, crumbled stock cube, thyme and butter. Bring this to the boil, stirring well to mix the ingredients.
- Add the rice and salt to taste, then stir gently until the pan comes back up to the boil. Reduce the heat to a low setting and place the whole chilli pepper(s) on top of the liquid. Cover tightly and allow to simmer for 20-25 minutes.
- REMOVE THE CHILLI PEPPER BEFORE SERVING.
- You can substitute the black-eyed beans with other sorts of beans if you prefer. Popular choices include kidney beans or pigeon beans, or you can, as I've done before, use a combination of different beans.
Coconut milk drives the rich profile of this dish, supplying over 20 grams of saturated fat per serving and creating an emulsion that coats each grain of long grain rice. Substituting canned coconut milk with light coconut milk drastically alters this emulsion, resulting in a less unctuous finished starch because lower-fat milks contain higher water percentages that disrupt the absorption ratio.
Measuring liquid precisely matters when combining canned bean liquid, coconut milk, and water to reach exactly 960ml for 450g of rice. Deviating from this 2-to-1 liquid-to-rice volume threshold leaves grains either crunchy or waterlogged. Black-eyed beans function interchangeably with red kidney beans or pigeon peas without altering cooking times, though starchy dried beans require pre-soaking before they can replace canned varieties safely.
Pairing this starchy side with deeply spiced proteins like jerk chicken balances the rich coconut fat through contrasting capsaicin heat. Simmering the whole pasilla pepper on top imparts aroma without releasing excessive capsaicin into the bulk of the rice.
