Caribbean Rice and Peas

Serve this Caribbean Rice and Peas dish with our Jerk Chicken, it is the perfect accompaniment for highly spiced meat dishes.

Ingredients

1 clove garlic
¼ fresh pineapple OR 1 x 220g can pineapple in natural juice
1 x reduced-salt vegetable stock cube
500ml boiling water
1 x 15ml spoon vegetable oil
240g basmati rice
400g can reduced-fat coconut milk
400g can red kidney beans
3 spring onions
2 x 15ml spoons fresh coriander OR 2 x 5ml spoon dried coriander
2 x 15ml spoons fresh mint
1 x 15ml spoon fresh thyme OR 1 x 5ml spoon dried thyme
Ground black pepper (optional)

Equipment

Weighing scales
Chopping board
Sharp knife
Can opener
Kettle
Measuring jug
Large saucepan with lid
Pan stand
Measuring spoons
Colander
Spatula
Fork

Instructions

1. Remove the skin and core from the fresh pineapple or open the can of pineapple and drain (reserve the juice for the Jerk Chicken recipe). Crush or chop the pineapple into small 1cm cubed pieces.
2. Peel the garlic and chop finely.
3. Measure 500ml of boiling water into the measuring jug, crumble in the stock cube and stir to dissolve.
4. Put a large saucepan on the hob and turn to a medium heat. Add the vegetable oil.
5. Add the chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
6. Add the basmati rice and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
7. Open the can of coconut milk and add to the rice.Pour in the stock and stir well.
8. Open the can of kidney beans and drain in the colander. Add the beans to the rice, stir well and turn up to a high heat. Once bubbling, put the lid on the saucepan, turn down to a low heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
9. Check the rice and stir occasionally with a fork. If the rice isn’t fully cooked and the saucepan is dry, add a little more water.
10. Top and tail the spring onions and chop them width ways into small circles about ½ cm thick. Finely chop the coriander and mint. Remove the thyme leaves from the stalks and discard the stalks if using fresh. Add to the rice together with the pineapple.
11. Add black pepper to taste (if using) and gently stir the rice with a fork. Replace the lid and simmer on a low heat for a further 2 minutes.
12. Turn off the heat and leave for another 3 or 4 minutes for the rice to absorb any remaining liquid. Serve with Jerk Chicken (see the Jerk Chicken recipe on our website).

Skills used include:
Weighing, measuring, chopping, mixing, boiling/simmering and stir-frying.

Top Tips

• Many of these ingredients are used in Jerk Chicken, so if you use a can of pineapple for the rice, use the juice from this for the sauce in the Jerk Chicken
  recipe.
• Do not stir the rice too often or you will break the grain and it will go stodgy.

Something to try next time

• For an extra kick to the rice, add a finely chopped chilli or pinch of chilli powder with the chopped garlic at step 2.
• Substitute the kidney beans for another type of bean such as gungo beans, yellow split peas or black-eyed beans.

Prepare now, eat later

• The rice and peas dish is best eaten straight away.
• Follow these instructions to re-use rice safely. Cool any leftovers quickly (within 1 hour), refrigerate and use within 24 hours. Reheat until piping hot or serve cold. Do not reheat rice more than once.