How to cook west indies rice and peas

Gather your ingredients

fill your large pot with 3/4 full of cold water

Add a cup of kidney beans to the water

Add two whole spring onions

Add one whole chilly or scotch bonnet

Add a few pimento seas to the water

Add a table spoon of dried thyme (alternative use two sprigs of fresh thyme)

Add all to the water

Peel and flatten three cloves of garlic and add to water

Then turn on your stove

To gas mark 6 - let's start cooking

The water will reduce about 40 minutes into cooking - top the water back up to 3/4 full again and keep cooking

After about another 40 minutes check your beans. Take one out and if you can easily squish it your ready for the next step. If not add more water and keep boiling

Once your beans are ready add THE WHOLE pack or bar of creamed coconut to the water. Yes the WHOLE bar. Ensure that you keep the water level to 3/4 full always. Then boil for a further 20 minutes

Add a table spoon full of salt to flavour - if you don't it will taste really bland

After 20 minutes remove the spring onion

Now add your rice - pour till it just peeks at the top of the water

Like this -

Now stir in the rice - can keep storing occasionally until it reduces a little

At this stage you may want to reduce the heat slightly to stop the rice sticking to the bottom of the pot

Keep stirring

When the rice starts to show through the water it's time to reduce the heat

Reduce heat to gas mark 1

Add the lid to the rice and let it cook for a further ten minutes

After ten minutes take off the lid and let it dry out for another ten minutes - then it's done - very creamy fluffy rice with a small kick to it (west indies style).