This Jamaican side dish is a delicious mix of coconut rice and red beans (peas) flavored with traditional seasonings like green onions, allspice berries, thyme, garlic and scotch bonnet pepper. This flavorful dish is a staple in Jamaican cuisine and pairs perfectly with any Caribbean inspired meal.
Eat The Culture Black History Month Virtual Potluck
This recipe is is for the 2023 Eat The Culture Black History Month Virtual Pot Luck. This year, the theme is Black Resistance and together, we are recognizing the remarkable and, frankly, underrated resistance of our ancestors in bringing culinary traditions across the Atlantic to shape the vibrance of Black cuisine that we know and love today.
They physically and mentally carried African foodways across the deadly Middle Passage to pass down through generations. This year’s collaboration traces popular dishes of the Diaspora from their West African roots to North America and beyond.
Jamaican Rice and Peas is a dish that is derived from Waakye, a simple savory rice and beans dish native to northern Ghana. Our ancestors brought this staple dish to the American South, Caribbean and South America.
Although Waakye has the same preparation as the Jamaican version, they have different ingredients. Waakye contains baking soda and sorghum leaves and Jamaican rice and peas is seasoned with allspice (pimento berries), ginger, garlic, scallions and scotch bonnet pepper.
I encourage you to make it and follow the story through Waakye from Ghana, Cook-up Rice from Guyana and Hoppin’ John from the American South.
Share these recipes with your friends and loved ones and follow each participant by using the hashtag #BHMVP2023 on Instagram.
You can grab the full list of recipes from this year’s collaboration on the Eat the Culture website.
Why do Jamaicans call beans peas?
This rice and peas recipe was shared with me by my Jamaican friend, Chef Michael McCants. Chef Mike informed me that it’s just not correct to call it “rice and beans” when talking about a Jamaican dish! According to him, if you go to a Jamaican restaurant and the menu says “rice and beans” and not “rice and peas”, you should go elsewhere.
In Jamaica and many countries throughout the Caribbean, dry beans are known as peas. Authentic rice and peas is made with dry beans and fresh coconut milk when available. This recipe uses canned beans and coconut milk for an easy preparation that anyone can do at home in about 30 minutes.
Rice and peas can be made with kidney beans or pigeon peas (known as gungo peas in Jamaica).
Ingredients
- White Rice – Jasmine or long grain rice
- Dark Red Kidney Beans – this recipe uses canned beans for a quick preparation.
- Coconut Milk – full fat canned or fresh coconut milk. If using canned, make sure it is unsweetened coconut milk. This gives the rice a wonderfully creamy texture.
- Yellow onion and scallions
- Fresh Ginger and Garlic
- Whole Scotch Bonnet Pepper – Ubiquitous in West Africa and the Caribbean, scotch bonnet chiles are named for their supposed resemblance to a Scottish tam o’shanter bonnet. They may be hard to find in your regular grocery store, but many Caribbean or African markets will have them. If you can’t find scotch bonnet, a habanero pepper makes a great substitute. The most important thing is that the pepper is whole, uncut and unbruised. The purpose is not to make the dish spicy but to extract the slightly fruity flavor from the skin.
- Dried Thyme – this recipe uses dried but you may also substitute a few sprigs of fresh thyme if you have it.
- Whole Allspice – The name of this warm, complex spice sounds like it should be a blend but allspice is a single spice made from the dried berries of the allspice tree. Native to Jamaica, allspice berries resemble peppercorns and are also known as Jamaica peppers or pimento.
Method
Finely dice the onion, mince the garlic cloves, grate fresh ginger and thinly slice the white parts of the scallions. Set the green parts aside.
Drain the liquid from the can of beans into a large liquid measuring cup. Add the coconut milk and between 1-2 cups of water to make a total of four cups (32oz) of liquid.
Thoroughly rinse the rice.
In a large pot over medium heat, sauté onion, garlic, ginger and sliced white parts of green onions in a little bit of oil. Add in the dried thyme and season with salt.
Add beans, rice, allspice berries and liquid to the pot and bring to a boil. Place whole scotch bonnet pepper on top and the whole green parts of the green onions. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and reduce heat to low. Simmer on low heat for 18-20 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from the heat and let it stand and steam for an additional five minutes.
Remove the lid and discard the pepper, allspice berries and green onions on top. Fluff rice and peas with a fork and serve.
What do you serve with rice and peas?
This flavorful side dish is the perfect accompaniment for a variety of Caribbean and classic Jamaican dishes. Rice and peas is an easy dish to prepare and it is expected at any get together from a Sunday family dinner to special occasions. Try it with Jamaican jerk chicken, oxtail stew, brown stew chicken, fish or curry goat. This versatile, popular dish pairs well with any sort of roasted meat, seafood or curry.
How to store leftovers
Leftover rice and peas will keep well in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Reheat leftovers to piping hot in the microwave and if it looks dry, add a splash of coconut milk. Cooked, fully cooled rice can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
More Caribbean inspired dishes you will love
- Grilled Mojo Chicken Leg Quarters
- Caribbean Carrot Ginger Soup
- Sweet Potato Wedges with Peanut Dipping Sauce
Jamaican Rice and Peas
Ingredients
- 1 can of dark red kidney beans 15oz
- 1 full fat coconut milk 13.5oz
- 2 cups jasmine rice long grain rice
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 2 scallions
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 inch fresh ginger grated
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 8 allspice berries
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper whole
- 1 tablespoon oil
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel and finely dice the onion, mince the garlic, grate ginger and thinly slice the white and light green parts of the scallions, leaving the dark green parts whole.
- Drain the liquid from the can of beans into a large liquid measuring cup, add can of coconut milk and enough water to make a total of 4 cups (32 ounces) of liquid.
- Thoroughly rinse rice until the water runs clear.
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, add oil and sauté onions for about 2 minutes until softened. Add in garlic, ginger, dried thyme and season with a big pinch of salt. Cook for another minute until everything is fragrant.
- Add beans, rice, allspice berries and liquid to the pot and bring to a boil. Stir a few times and scrape the bottom to loosen any grains of rice sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Place whole chili, and green parts of scallions on top. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 18-20 minutes until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove pot from the heat and let stand and steam for five minutes.
- Remove lid, discard pepper, whole scallions and allspice berries. Fluff rice and peas with a fork and serve.
Carla
This was SO delicious! I had to substitute a couple of minor things but it still turned out so good. This is definitely a keeper!
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.
Jessica
Thank you for trying the recipe and for letting me know. So glad you enjoyed it! xoxo