Jamaican Cookery News

Jamaican pumpkin rice is different from Jamaican seasoned rice. Unlike seasoned rice, pumpkin rice is not a one-pot meal. Pumpkin rice is more popular among the Rastafarian chefs/cooks in Jamaica.

Pumpkin rice and fried-up tin bully beef (tin corned beef)

Ingredients
1/2 lb. pumpkin, peeled/washed/cut into chunks
2 tbsp. butter or margarine
1 tsp. salt
4 cups water
2 lbs. white long grain rice or parboiled rice/washed
Note : cast-iron pot is best suited for cooking rice

Method
Put 4 cups of water into a large cast-iron pot, add salt to pot. Put the pot on high heat and bring to a boil. Add the pumpkin. Cook pumpkin until soft.

Step2
Cook pumpkin until the water reduces to 1 cup.

Step3

Taste and add more salt if needed. Put washed rice into the pot, stir, (the water should cover the rice 1 inch or water level should be up to first joint of index finger).Add the butter or margarine. Cover the pot, boil rice until all the water evaporates.

Boil rice until all the water evaporates and holes form on surface of rice.

Step4
Lower the heat, use a fork to fluff the rice, if rice grains are a bit hard, sprinkle a small amount of water over the rice. Cover pot, allow to steam on very low heat for 20 minutes.

Step5
Turn off heat and allow rice to sit 5 minutes on burner. Serve warm.