Caribbean Rice and Beans is a traditional British Virgin Islands recipe for a classic accompaniment of red kidney beans cooked with rice in a coconut milk base. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British Virgin Islands version of: Caribbean Rice and Beans.
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Rice and beans or rice and peas as it's more commonly known is a common accompaniment across the Caribbean. It shows up alongside Sunday roast chicken in Barbados, richly-flavoured pepperpots in St Lucia, and steamed fish in the Virgin Islands. It makes an appearance next to jerked pork in Jamaica, but it is known there as rice and peas with the explanation given that there is more rice than peas. This is the version from across the Virgin Islands.
Ingredients:
225g Red Kidney Beans
2 tbsp peanut oil
1 medium onion, minced
½ Scotch Bonnet chilli (seeded and minced), or to taste
375ml unsweetened coconut milk
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 chives, minced
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
400g uncooked white rice
Method:
Wash and pick over the beans. Place in a bowl, cover with water and set aside to soak over night.
The following day, drain the beans, place in a saucepan, cover with water then bring to a boil and cook for about 50 minutes, or until almost tender. Drain the beans, and reserve the cooking liquid. Return the beans to the cooking pot.
Heat the oil in a heavy skillet and brown the onion.
Add the onion and remaining ingredients to the bean pan, along with 625ml of the reserved bean cooking liquid. (If there is not enough, add cold water to supplement.)
Cover the pan and cook over low heat for 25 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed, and the rice is tender. Serve hot.
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