Boldly seasoned and ultra-moist Jamaican Rice and Peas (kidney beans)
This is my recipe for Jamaican rice and peas. It was created by combining the recipes of three Jamaican cooks, and then amping up the flavours just a little more. That is, each of the three recipes from which I drew inspiration contained different ingredients…and I chose to use them all. Minus the seasoning salts and the like—I opted for the fresher flavours. I then relied on my own palate to make the rice and peas as flavourful as possible (without overdoing it, of course). My version is bolder than those that I’ve tried at Jamaican restaurants. And I prefer it. By a lot, actually. The ingredients themselves are all taken from Jamaican recipes. I just made them punch more. All of this serves to offer a description of the finished product that you can expect to make, as well as to underline that the flavours called for are traditional, however the quantities thereof are amplified, and I personally think that it’s for the better from a gastronomical perspective.
If you are unfamiliar with the dish, rice and peas is in fact rice and kidney beans. Typically, that is. Pigeon peas are what were traditionally used—hence the name—however kidney beans are more commonly used. Rice and peas makes for a delicious side, and an absolute must to accompany jerk chicken, fried plantains, coleslaw, and a tropical mango salad. That’s what I tend to pair with it, anyway! It’s otherwise frequently served with curry goat, or other proteins, be they from the land or the sea.
Recipe:
Serves 12-16, depending on portion size
Notes
I specify the type of salt used, as different salts are more or less salty than others. If you don’t have the same kind of salt used, be mindful of this and adjust accordingly. Generally speaking, pink Himalayan salt is less salty than most others.
I used bottled green seasoning. If you don’t know what this is, do a quick google search. In this recipe, you can used store-bought, or you can make it fresh. It’ll be great either way. You can buy this at any Caribbean grocer, however it’s sold in a plethora of other stores including Oceans in Canada, or other multicultural grocery stores. If you’re not sure, call ahead and ask.
I used Walkerswood mild traditional Jamaican jerk seasoning. It’s a coarse paste of sorts, which comes in a jar. As long as you use this kind of product, I imagine that other brands will work equally well. Note that some rice and peas recipes include allspice (pimento); mine does not, as it’s in the jerk seasoning.
Some recipes call for all of the seasonings to be added in with the rice, however I am team add them in with the kidney beans. This will allow for the flavours to fully penetrate the beans. Those who add them in later do so, as they claim that the beans cook faster without…and that may be true, but I go for delicious over fast every time.
I use Uncle Ben’s converted long grain rice. I prefer it to basmati rice, but feel free to substitute according to your preference.
I add some of the ingredients in in stages (salt, butter, jerk seasoning, and green seasoning), strategically. Be mindful of this.
Ingredients
365 g (2 cups) dried kidney beans
9 cups water
1 (400 ml) can full-fat coconut milk
1/4 cup green seasoning *see notes
3 tbsp mild Jamaican jerk seasoning *see notes
4 medium garlic cloves, halved
2 large green onions, quartered
15 sprigs fresh thyme
4 1/4 tsp salt (pink Himalayan)
20 cracks black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp brown sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 scotch bonnet, whole
3 cups Uncle Ben’s Rice (converted long grain)
Instructions
Soak the kidney beans in 7 cups of water overnight, for best results, or as long as you can the day of, before cooking. If you don’t have time to soak them at all, don’t stress, the dish will still be great. Soaking the beans allows for them to cook faster, so may just need to add 10-20 minutes of cooking time to your beans. I prefer the softness of the texture when they’ve soaked overnight, but they will be just fine if you can’t.
In a large pot, add in the kidney beans (including the soaking water), the coconut milk, 3 tbsp of the green seasoning, 2 tbsp of the jerk seasoning, the garlic cloves, the green onions, the thyme (stems and all), 2 1/2 tsp of the salt, the black pepper, the garlic powder, the brown sugar, and 2 tbsp of the butter. Stir. Add in the scotch bonnet pepper at this point if you like a little extra heat. If you don’t like much heat, wait to add it in later with the rice. That is, the longer it cooks, the more it will break down, and the spicier your rice will be. So I leave the timing of the addition of the scotch bonnet pepper up to you. You can also omit it entirely if you can’t do spice.
Bring to a boil over high heat, uncovered. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, covered, for an hour, or until your kidney beans are soft and tender. Again, if you didn’t soak the kidney beans, they will likely need another 10-20 minutes.
Once the beans are cooked, add in 2 more cups of water, the rice, 2 more tbsp of butter, and another 1 3/4 tsp of salt. If you didn’t add the scotch bonnet pepper in with the beans, add it in now. Stir.
Cook for 15 minutes, covered, still over medium-low heat.
Remove lid, and simmer for a final 10 minutes, or until your rice is tender. Depending on your rice and stove, if a little bit of liquid remains, and your rice still needs a touch more time, add the lid back on and cook for a final 5 minutes. Mine sometimes needs this, and sometimes doesn’t. Note that if you’ve used a different rice, you may need to make some adjustments in terms of timing.
Discard the thyme stems and green onions. Add in the final (1) tbsp of jerk seasoning, 2 tbsp of butter, and (1) tbsp of green seasoning. Stir. If you’re curious as to why I don’t add this in earlier with the rest, it’s just because I feel that adding a little extra in at the end re-vamps the flavours.
Serve warm. Pairing suggestions are offered in the preamble above. Note that the flavours are quite dark, and effectively having fresh and zingy salads with the rice and peas to offer a contrast for the palate are a must!
Enjoy!
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