Jamaican Rice and Peas Recipe (with Coconut Milk)
Despite the name, Jamaican rice and peas is made with red kidney beans, not peas. The rice cooks in coconut milk with thyme, scallion, garlic, and a whole Scotch bonnet pepper that perfumes the pot without making it spicy. It is the essential partner for jerk chicken, curry goat, and Sunday dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 cans (14 oz) JCS Red Kidney Beans, with their liquid (or 1 cup dried beans, soaked and boiled until tender)
- 1 can (13.5 oz) Grace Coconut Milk
- 2 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
- 2 scallions, lightly crushed
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 whole Scotch bonnet pepper, uncut
- 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- Water as needed
Preparation
1. Build the cooking liquid. In a heavy pot, combine the beans with their liquid, the coconut milk, scallions, thyme, garlic, and salt. Add enough water so the total liquid is about 3 1/2 cups. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes.
2. Add the rice. Stir in the rinsed rice. Lay the whole Scotch bonnet on top — do not cut it or let it burst. Cover with a tight lid.
3. Steam low and slow. Cook on the lowest heat for 25–30 minutes without lifting the lid. Turn off the heat and let it rest 10 minutes.
4. Fluff. Remove the pepper, thyme stems, and scallions. Fluff the rice gently with a fork.
Tips
- The liquid ratio is everything: too much water makes it mushy; the grains should be separate and glossy.
- Whole pepper, gentle heat: if the pepper bursts, the rice gets fiery — fish it out carefully.
- Canned beans are fine: weeknight rice and peas with canned beans is what most Jamaican homes actually make.
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