An authentic Jamaican side dish, rice, and peas (beans) are naturally vegan and made with creamy coconut milk, thyme, and allspice berries.
When we first started eating at our go-to local Jamaican restaurant, Irie Kitchen, there was one dish that captured the love and affection of my boys immediately: rice and peas. In fact, during my recent visit to Jamaica, they were on almost every menu!
For added flavor and aromatics, the cooking water is seasoned with fresh thyme, onion, garlic, allspice berries, scallions, and Scotch bonnet pepper. If you want to keep the dish mild, skip the Scotch bonnet pepper.
Frequently asked questions:
A traditional food hailing from the African continent, rice and peas first became popular in Ghana. Despite the name, there are no garden peas in the recipe. Instead, there are beans that are referred to as ‘peas’ in the Caribbean.
Dark red kidney beans are more common but I used light red because that’s what I had on hand. Either work! The secret is to start with dried and let them soak in water 8 hours or overnight.
The secret is full fat coconut milk such as the Thai style that you can find in a can. While you can use low fat, I highly recommend full fat for added creaminess. This dish is naturally vegan with no butter so the coconut milk adds a ton of plant-based richness.
Of course, traditional dishes like Jerk Chicken, Jerk Pork or Curry Goat all taste delicious with rice and peas but truthfully this side dish is extremely versatile and tastes great with any sort of roasted meat, fish or curry.
It will stay good for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. If it’s a little dry when reheating, add a little coconut milk.
Yes! They are 100% gluten-free and vegan as they are made with coconut milk instead of butter. They’re also protein-packed due to the peas (beans) offering 5 grams of protein per 1/2 cup.
What are your favorite Caribbean recipes? I’d love more ideas!
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Jamaican Rice and Peas?
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Ingredients
Instructions
- Add beans to a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil then add in onion, scallions, garlic, allspice, thyme, Scotch bonnet (if using), ginger, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir in the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce to low and simmer until beans are tender, about 1 hour.
- Add rice to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed in, about 20 minutes. Remove pan from the heat but keep the lid on for 10 minutes. Remove the thyme stems, allspice berries and Scotch bonnet then fluff with a fork. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with scallions.
Nutrition
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