Description
Authentic Jamaican rice and peas made with creamy coconut milk, tender red kidney beans, fragrant thyme, and warm Caribbean spices for a comforting and flavorful side dish.
Ingredients
1 cup dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight
3 cups water (plus more as needed)
2 cups uncooked long grain rice
13.5 oz can full-fat coconut milk
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 scallion stalks, cut in half
1 whole scotch bonnet pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon pimento berries (allspice)
A few sprigs fresh thyme
Instructions
- Rinse the soaked kidney beans thoroughly and discard the soaking water.
- Add the beans to a pot with 3 cups of water, bring to a boil, then simmer over medium heat until tender, adding more water if needed.
- Once the beans are cooked, add the rice, coconut milk, salt, scallion, scotch bonnet pepper, garlic, pimento berries, and thyme to the pot.
- Stir gently to combine, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Lower the heat further and cook for another 5–10 minutes until the rice is fully tender, adding a small splash of water if necessary.
- Remove from heat and let rest, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Remove herbs and scotch bonnet pepper before serving.
Notes
For less heat, substitute scotch bonnet with a milder chili.
Canned kidney beans can be used to save time; reduce cooking liquid accordingly.
Avoid over-stirring to prevent mushy rice.
This dish freezes well for up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Caribbean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 420mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
