Jamaican Original Rice and Peas Without Coconut Milk

A bowl of Jamaican rice and peas without coconut milk on a table top

 

Jamaican Traditional Rice and Peas Without Coconut Milk

Rice and peas was traditionally eaten only on Sundays and Wednesdays in Jamaica. Nowadays, it is eaten any day of the week. Red kidney beans are called peas in Jamaica. Do we call all beans peas? No, only red kidney beans. A lot of people do not know that coconut milk is not used in the original rice and peas recipe. Traditionally, it was a margarine that we call pound butter put into rice and peas. The idea of using coconut milk comes from the Rastafarian community they have a love affair with coconuts and put the milk into almost everything they cook. Eventually, everyone started to put coconut milk into rice and peas and the original recipe was forgotten.

A lot of people say red kidney beans should be soaked before cooking else it will cause gas and poison. I am here to tell you that’s not Jamaican culture. Soaking red peas is a preference that doesn't have anything to do with gas or poison. I personally have not soaked my red peas because they have lost the deep red colour. The red peas in Jamaica are very soft; we used the Alberta red peas, which take about 20–30 minutes to cook.

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Ingredients

  • 1 pint red peas (red kidney beans)
  • 2 lbs Alberta parboil rice
  • 2 cups water (plus more as needed)
  • 5 pimento seeds
  • 1 piece peeled and crushed ginger root (optional)
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 stalk scallion, washed and crushed
  • 1 piece thyme (preferably green)
  • 1 green pepper, stem removed
  • 1 tablespoon margarine (I used Chiffon; you can use any unsalted butter)
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Wash the peas and remove any debris. Place in a big enough pot with 2 cups of water, pimento seeds, ginger root (optional), and crushed garlic. Cover and bring to a full boil over medium heat.
  2. Open the pot you will see the peas rise to the top. Pour in a cup of tap water (this method is called "sink the peas") to make the peas sink to the bottom. Cover and continue cooking, adding more water if needed.
  3. When the peas are partially cooked, add the crushed scallion, thyme, and green pepper. Continue cooking with the fresh herbs, adding water if necessary.
  4. Once the peas are cooked, add salt. No other spices are required; this is not part of traditional Jamaican rice and peas.
  5. Wash the rice until water runs clear. Add the rice to the pot with peas, making sure water covers rice about an inch. Add 1 tablespoon margarine or butter and stir. Cover and cook.
  6. When there is no liquid left, lower heat to low. Steam the rice (cover with foil or leave as is) until fluffy.
  7. Fluff the rice and remove scallion, thyme, and green pepper before serving.

Nutritional Value (per serving, approximate)

  • Calories: 280 kcal
  • Protein: 8 g
  • Carbohydrates: 50 g
  • Fat: 4 g
  • Fiber: 6 g
  • Sodium: 150 mg

Prep Time:

10 minutes

Cook Time:

20–30 minutes (varies depending on the peas)

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