Jamaican Rice and Beans is a Caribbean staple. You can eat it on its own or pair it up with griot, baked chicken, or whatever you wish. It is a great side dish because of its versatility.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried kidney beans
- 3 cup water
- 1½ small onion , finely chopped
- 2 scallions , finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- 6 sprigs thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper (optional)
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsps Kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 13.5-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
- 2 cups long-grain white rice
Instructions
- Prepare dried kidney beans by placing them in a bowl. Add water until the beans are completely covered. Beans can be soaked for 1 hour or left overnight and prepared the next day.
- Drain beans and put them in a large saucepan. Add water to the saucepan until the beans are covered with water. Add ½ of the chopped onion, bay leaf, and 3 sprigs of thyme and scotch bonnet pepper (optional) to the beans. Bring to a boil over moderately high heat. Once beans have come to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour over low heat until the beans are tender.
- Carefully pour beans and liquid into a large bowl and discard scotch bonnet pepper. Using the same saucepan add extra virgin olive oil and sauté the onions, scallions, garlic, allspice, thyme, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.
- Add beans and liquid to saucepan. Then add coconut milk to saucepan and stir. Increase heat to medium high
- Stir in the rice, cover and simmer reduce to low heat until the rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let steam.