The recipe that we offer today was sent to me by a friend of mine directly from Jamaica. This is a culinary preparation that every self-respecting tourist should try at least once if they go on vacation there.
History and ambiguity
Some may have noticed that, although this recipe is called “rice and peas”, it actually uses beans. This peculiarity, is due to the fact that initially the recipe contemplated the use of spicy peas that were later replaced for convenience with beans.
Ingredients
As the taste changes a lot from cook to cook due to the fact everyone uses different quantities in order to obtain a certain dominant taste, I was not informed about the quantities but I am sure with some trials you will be able to reach a pretty satisfactory result.
- White or brown rice;
- Red beans (or snap peas);
- Coconut milk;
- Thyme;
- About 4 grams of allspice seeds;
- 1 or 2 sticks of green onion;
- Salt without exaggeration;
- 4 to 6 cloves of garlic;
Preparation
The rice should be bland. Keep in mind that cooking times for plain rice and brown rice vary. The recipes for preparing this dish that can be found on the internet are profoundly different, some of them are readapted to the needs and tastes of other countries.
But I rely on my friend because she is originally from those parts and because, as we all know, there is nothing better than a nice dish prepared in the family in the traditional way.
- Cook the peas or beans by putting them in water along with the garlic;
- While cooking add coconut milk, thyme, green onion (squeeze it to release the juices), allspice seeds and salt, stir to combine the ingredients. It is very important to understand that the amount of coconut milk will substantially change the taste. The more coconut milk you add, the creamier the taste will be. However, my friend advises me not to overdo it because otherwise the dominant flavor will be coconut and that’s not what we want;
- If it is necessary, you must add during cooking, small amounts of water because the amount of liquid must be sufficient to cook the rice that you know, in varying degrees, absorbs;
- At this point, it is time to add the rice, my friend recommends that I wash it, but the one we usually buy in European shopping centers is already washed and bagged of course. The pot should be closed by the lid but remember to stir every so often otherwise the mixture will stick to the pot and there will be no even cooking.
- A few minutes before the rice is ready, place the foil over the pot instead of the lid in order to finish cooking with steam. Remember to measure the flame well or the foil will explode. This is a trick to make the rice softer but it is not essential.
Reflections
This concludes our guide on how to prepare rice with peas the way my Jamaican friend did. If you have already tried this recipe feel free to leave a comment. My endless thanks go to my friend who was very kind to offer me this new and excellent recipe that is so unique and exotic to my taste buds.
