Rice and peas.

There are various names for this dish in the Caribbean depending on if it has coconut milk or not. Now with coconut milk it is called cook-up rice and without it is called pilau.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups rice
1 cup peas- kidney beans,black-eye peas or peas of your choice
1 can coconut milk
1 large onion chopped

4 cloves garlic chopped
thyme
basil
meat of your choice- chicken,beef,pork etc.
black pepper
salt to taste
five spice-optional
mix vegetables optional
water

METHOD
1. Boil or pressurize the peas until soft but still whole.(can use canned peas but the flavor is not as good).peas can be done before. Usually with a pressure cooker about 30 mins. If boiling then much longer.

2. Adding meat to this dish is optional
- If using beef then this can be seasoned and browned in the pot to which the peas will be boiled. Then add the unboiled peas and both will boil or be pressurized at the same time - aim is to get beef and peas soft.

- If chicken then season and brown and add after peas is soft.

3. To peas and meat add rice, coconut milk and water/broth.
- The general rule is that the liquid must be twice amount of rice so measure the coconut milk and make up with water or chicken broth for rest of liquid eg.
for 1 cup rice = requires 2 cups liquid so if coconut milk is 1cup then add another cup liquid.

4. Add black-pepper,2-3 sprigs of thyme( strip leaves from sprigs),few leaves of basil chopped, chopped onions and chopped garlic and salt to taste.

5. Stir well

6. Bring to boiling point then turn down stove to low, cover pot and let simmer until water has dried out.
Stir occasionally to prevent sticking to pot if sticking then stove still too high.

7. After liquid is dried out, add 2 'pinches' of five spice and some mix vegetables.
Mix, turn off stove and cover pot for about 5-10 mins.

8. Serve warm with vegetable salad-cucumbers,tomatoes and lettuce.
(immediately before serving vegetable salad you can add 1 tablespoon lime juice,pinch of salt and black pepper)

-To make pilau omit the coconut milk and use only broth or water.

-To make vegetarian dish omit meat.

-An alternative would be to omit meat while cooking rice but serve the 'vege' rice with baked chicken or fried/baked fish or roast beef.

A beverage usually served with this dish is freshly made limeade.

Really hope you enjoy this Caribbean dish.

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