rice and peas (diri ak pwa)

Rice and peas, or “diri ak pwa,” as we call it in Haiti, is a staple in any Caribbean household. We simply call it a different name, depending on the island and the language. The “peas” are actually kidney beans, and the flavor can be as subtle or colorful as you want it to be.

I’ll be honest - this isn’t your average rice cooker kind of rice. You have to presoak your beans overnight, then cook them down for an hour before you start. It takes a bit of effort and some time, but I promise your taste buds will thank you!

prep time: overnight total time: 2 hrs

ingredients 

• 1 cup dry red kidney beans - soaked overnight, rinsed, and drained

• 2 cups chicken stock (you can use 3 total cups water if you’re out of chicken stock)

• 1 cup water

• 2 cups jasmine rice

• 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil

• 2 tablespoons haitian epis (if you don’t have any, you can instead finely chop 1 small onion, 2 scallions, 3 garlic cloves or 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, 1 scotch bonnet pepper, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, and 1 bouillon cube)

• salt and pepper, to taste

• 1/2 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk (usually found in the international aisle)

instructions

1. In a large saucepan, cover the rinsed beans with clean water and bring to a boil over moderately high heat until beans are tender. (This will take about an hour, and replenish the water as needed to make sure the beans are always covered)

2. Drain beans, but keep the water aside. You’ll need about 1/2 cup.

3. In the saucepan, add vegetable oil and stir in drained beans and epis (or the spice mixture), and bring to a light simmer for 3-4 minutes.

4. Stir in water, bean liquid, chicken stock, and coconut milk until it starts to boil. (I usually do a taste test of the liquid and add salt/pepper as needed. The key here is that the liquid will flavor the rice!)

5. Once boiling, add rice. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 25-30 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.

6. Remove from heat and allow the rice to steam for about 5-10 minutes.

7. Using a fork, fluff the rice and beans and voila!