Cooking huge Jamaican dinners was part of Kalisa’s grandmother, who was the eldest of 12 siblings. Now it’s up to the younger generations to carry on the culinary traditions, including this signature dish.
My maternal grandmother is the matriarch of the family in every sense of the word. The eldest of 12 brothers and sisters, she grew up in rural Jamaica always taking care of everyone else. Not only did she start working around the age of 12 to support the family, she also cooked for her siblings on a daily basis. And after she emigrated to America in 1969, she also paved the way for the others. As we look around my extended family, we all recognize that their hard work and sacrifices are the reason we are all here.
As a child, when my friends could talk or even sit down over holiday dinners with their immediate family a table with her extended family at Christmas, I just couldn’t understand. For us, holidays meant that the house was full of people. Every room was filled with laughter and food – there was no attempt to limit things to just the kitchen and dining room. Imagine: my grandmother, her children, her children’s children, as well as their younger siblings and their tribes are all sitting on dining room chairs, counter stools, sofas, folding chairs, or really anywhere we can snag a spot to eat our crowded plates with food. New significant others, new babies, and even new friends in town have been added over the years. One Christmas I counted for fun and got to 70 people (!) before I gave up counting.
This passion for food skipped my mother, bypassed my older sister and landed right on me. Because of my grandmother, I find sheer joy (and fear) in cooking for others. She’s also the reason I can’t cook small. I can’t physically bring myself to make less than four servings of anything, even if it’s just for me. Since my mother didn’t like to cook – and that’s putting it mildly – my connection to Jamaican food was almost entirely due to my grandmother.
Our big holiday gatherings featured the usual classic American fare plus Jamaican staples like rice and peas, curried goat, jerk chicken, oxtail, fried fish, black pie, and sorrel. The sheer amount of food was staggering, and as the family grew, gatherings evolved into potlucks with rotating host responsibilities. My grandmother happily passed the baton, as she said, but still cooked at will.
About 8 years ago my grandmother got dementia and started cooking less and less. One Christmas, however, she was dying to make rice and peas — arguably the most basic Jamaican dish on the table. We were all excited, but as soon as we smelled the acrid smell of burnt rice, we knew there was a problem. The rice and peas were singed beyond repair. She was stunned to have left it on the stove but we assured her it was no big deal. We texted our relatives about “the rice and pea situation” so that they would know to avoid unfortunate questions over dinner. (In the end it was my grandmother who asked, “Where’s the rice and peas?”)
My grandmother is lighthearted about her memory and most of the time we can laugh about it, but that incident with the rice and peas was sobering for me. She used to decide for herself whether or not to cook, but this ad was proof that she was now – at least partially – out of her control. As much as I associated food and cooking with my grandmother, I knew I couldn’t expect that from her forever. I realized that it is up to us younger generations to carry on our traditions in this new land my grandmother brought us to. As a 30-year-old, I’d been ‘grown up’ for a while, but until recently I wasn’t sure I had taken this responsibility for our culinary heritage seriously.
I used to enjoy mixing it up over the holidays and experimenting with new recipes. However, now I have an incentive to cook the classic Jamaican dishes I grew up with. There are no written recipes from my grandmother – even before dementia it was difficult to get exact information about the food she prepared. But as my mother said, in Jamaica you learned a lot through “osmosis”. Nobody ever sat you down and taught you how to cook rice and peas – at least not in our family. You just watched it being made every Sunday and took in the smells, sounds and tastes.
So, is my rice and peas recipe my grandmother’s recipe? I’m sure it’s not, but it evokes everything I love about Jamaican flavors and their cuisine, and she enjoys eating it. And will my kids and my kids’ kids expect rice and peas at their (hopefully huge) holiday dinners too? I will make sure.
What is Jamaican Rice and Peas?
In this traditional Jamaican side dish, beans and rice are simmered in a flavorful broth with coconut milk, shallots, thyme, Scotch bonnet pepper, and other classic Jamaican spices and spices. Traditionally, coconut milk made from freshly grated coconuts is used, but canned full-fat unsweetened coconut milk is a good substitute.
do you mean beans
Yes, by “peas” we mean beans — specifically red kidney beans or gungo peas (aka pigeon peas). My family prefers the more popular red kidney beans, and that’s exactly what this recipe calls for.
Soaking your beans overnight will cook them faster, but it’s not absolutely necessary. If you skip this step, you can expect your beans to cook longer. While skipping the soak is an acceptable shortcut, canned beans are not! Starting with dry beans ensures you get the color, flavor, and texture that are essential to this dish.
The best rice for Jamaican rice and peas
My favorite rice for this dish is jasmine rice. You can swap in another long grain rice of your choice, but keep in mind that the amount of liquid used and the cooking time may need to be adjusted accordingly.
How to serve Jamaican rice and peas
Rice and Peas is a hearty side dish that goes with almost any hearty meal you can think of. Like most rice dishes, it makes a great base for soaking up a sauce or sauce. On the other hand, this version is flavorful enough to stand on its own alongside any protein or vegetable on your plate.
Kalisa Martin’s Jamaican Rice and Peas
This recipe makes a large batch. Don’t you think you can finish it within 5 days? Freeze leftovers for your next rice and pea cravings!
ingredients
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1 cup dried kidney beans, sorted, rinsed and drained
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5 garlic cloves, chopped
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4 cups of water
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1 tablespoon kosher salt, divided
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3 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
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1 large sprig of thyme
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1/4 Scotch Bonnet or Habanero pepper, stems and seeds removed and chopped
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1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
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2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
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2 teaspoons raw or turbinado sugar
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1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
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2 small bay leaves
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2 tablespoons salted butter
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1 tablespoon unrefined coconut oil
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1 (13.5 ounce) can of unsweetened full-fat coconut milk
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1 1/2 cups chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water
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3 cups dry jasmine rice, rinsed and drained
method
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Soaking beans:
In a large container with a lid, add the beans, garlic, 4 cups water, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir well to combine, cover tightly and soak overnight in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
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Boil beans:
In a large Dutch oven or saucepan with a lid, add the soaked beans, water, and garlic. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, covered, until the beans can be mashed between your fingers but are not mushy. Check for doneness after about 40 minutes.
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Season cooking liquid:
When the beans are tender, stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons salt, scallions, thyme, scotch bonnet pepper, ginger, black pepper, sugar, allspice, bay leaves, butter, coconut oil, coconut milk, and stock. Increase the heat to medium-high heat. Once boiling, bring to a boil, cover and cook until spring onions are tender, about 5 minutes.
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Meanwhile, cook the rice:
Stir in the rinsed and drained rice, cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes without opening the lid. After 20 minutes, the liquid should be absorbed and the rice should be soft. Remove the pot from the heat and cover and steam the rice for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve warm.
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