As you may have guessed, Red Beans and Rice goes by “Rice and Peas” in Jamaica.The original recipe came from Beryl and Aretha learned to make it by feel, and also adjusted it to her liking over time. We have carefully measured and tested amounts so you can replicate it.
CourseSide Dish
CuisineJamaican
KeywordJamaican food, Jamaican recipes, Rice
Equipment
5-quart pot
Ingredients
1 1/2cupsred kidney beans(the amount is dependent on the number of servings you plan to make)
1cancoconut milk(2 cups)
3cupscold water
2cloves garlic
1tbspgarlic powder
3stalks scallion
6sprigs of fresh thyme(Jamaican thyme provides a more authentic flavor to the dish. If you are in NYC, you can find this thyme in Flatbush: Nostrand Avenue, Utica Avenue, and Church Avenue)
1/4cupred bell pepper, chopped
1/4cupgreen bell pepper, chopped
1whole green Scotch Bonnet pepper with stem intact
2tbspbutter
salt and pepper to taste
3cupslong grain rice(we used basmati rice)
Instructions
Pick through kidney beans and rinse them with cold water.
Put the kidney beans in a 5-quart pot and cover with coconut milk and cold water.
Add garlic cloves and garlic powder to the pot.
Set pot on medium-high heat, bring to a boil then lower flame and let simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes.
Check beans to see if they are beginning to soften.
Once the beans begin to soften, add all ingredients from the scallions (make sure to bruise the stalks) through the salt and pepper.
Allow to simmer for another 20 mins to get all flavors to meld. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasonings to your preferred taste.
Rinse the rice with cold water until the water runs clear. Add to the pot. The liquid in the pot should cover the rice. (To get the right texture for the rice. you should adhere to the rule of thumb of 2 cups water to 1 cup rice).
Half cover the pot to let the steam out. (Failure to do this may cause the contents of the pot to spill over onto the stove.)
Check rice to see if the coconut milk mixture is fully absorbed and evaporated. Once this has happened, lower the flame to low, cover the pot completely and let the rice steam for about 10 mins.
Stir the rice and check the texture. If it’s not fluffy, add a little more water and let it continue to steam until you get delicious, fluffy rice.