Caribbean Style Rice and Peas
Caribbean Style Rice and Peas is a tasty traditional dish which is made with red kidney beans and doesn’t actually contain any peas at all! In Caribbean cooking, ‘peas’ is a traditional name for legumes such as red kidney beans or pigeon peas (also known as gungo peas).
Serves 4
Per serving: 300 calories, 3.5g fat
Protein 9g
Carbohydrate 52g
Fibre 8g
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Ingredients
200g long-grain white rice, dry weight
1 × 400g tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
200ml light coconut milk (around 5–7% fat)
250ml vegetable stock
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 spring onions, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, or ½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp ground allspice
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp mild chilli powder, or 1 Scotch Bonnet chilli, left whole
1 bay leaf
Black pepper
½ tsp salt, or to taste
1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley or coriander
Juice of ½ a lime
Method
- Put the onion, spring onions and garlic into a large non-stick saucepan with a splash of the vegetable stock. Cook gently for 3 – 4 minutes until softened.
- Add the thyme, allspice, paprika and chilli and cook for another minute.
- Stir in the rice, kidney beans, coconut milk, remaining stock and bay leaf.
- Bring to the boil, then reduce to a very low simmer. Cover tightly and cook for about 15 – 18 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed the liquid and is tender.
- Remove from the heat and leave covered for 5 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf and Scotch Bonnet (if using). Fluff the rice with a fork and stir through the lime juice and fresh herbs.