Quick Rice and Peas

You can’t have Jerk Chicken or Curry Mutton without Rice and Peas, it just wouldn’t be right, here’s a quick simple recipe that gives a decent result every time.

You will need:
1 tin red kidney beans
1 tin coconut milk
Water (use one of the empty tins as a measure)
400g basmati rice, rinsed
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp salt

Method:
1. Drain the brine from the kidney beans into a large saucepan, add the coconut milk, water, onion, garlic, thyme, allspice and salt and then, over a medium/high heat, bring up to the boil.
2. Once the mixture is boiling add the rice, stir, turn down the heat and simmer for about 20 mins, until the rice is almost cooked and almost all the liquid is absorbed. If the rice starts to dry out before it’s cooked add a little more water.
3. Once the rice is almost cooked, gently stir in the beans, take off the heat, cover with the lid and allow to stand for 5 minutes to absorb the remaining liquid and warm the beans.

Notes:
This makes a great side dish for Jerk Chicken or a Jamaican style curry.