Coconut Rice and Red Beans

Caribbean · 40 min · Easy · 4 servings

Coconut Rice and Red Beans

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Rice cooked in coconut milk with kidney beans, thyme, allspice and a whole chili left in for perfume rather than heat. The side dish that turns any plate Caribbean.

~590 cal per serving. Calories are approximate, per serving — a guide only.

Plan it:

Method

  1. 1

    Start the base

    ⏱ 6 min

    Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and soften the onion, then add the garlic, scallions and ground allspice and stir until fragrant.

  2. 2

    Add the liquid

    ⏱ 4 min

    Pour in the coconut milk and the water, add the kidney beans, thyme sprigs and the whole chili, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and let it bubble for a couple of minutes so the flavors meet.

  3. 3

    Cook the rice

    ⏱ 25 min

    Stir in the rinsed rice, bring back to a boil, then cover tightly and turn the heat as low as it goes. Cook without lifting the lid until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.

  4. 4

    Rest and fluff

    ⏱ 10 min

    Take the pot off the heat and leave it covered to steam. Remove the chili and thyme stalks, then fluff with a fork and check the seasoning.

Notes

Leave the chili whole and pull it out at the end: it perfumes the rice without making it hot. If it bursts, the dish gets fiery. Do not lift the lid while the rice cooks; the steam is doing the work.

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