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1
Cooking If you are using fresh peas (kidney, gungo or green beans) then wash these
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2
Pour on three cups of water and leave to soak overnight for red peas, For gungo peas soak for 4-5 hours and max 1 hour for green peas (nb - there is no need to do this if you are using tinned peas)
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3
Pressure the peas in pressure cooker with additional 4 cups of water or up to 1 inside the pressure cooker for 20-23 minutes (This is not necessary for green beans or tinned peas)
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4
You can test to see if the peas are cooked by crushing two of them against the lid of the pot or with a spoon.
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5
If they crush easily you can move on to the next step
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6
Slice the onions fine and fry until soft in the oil
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7
Add a sprig of the fresh thyme, pimento with low heat
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8
Crush the garlic cloves in and continue to fry for 3 mins
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9
Add the beans/peas (If using tinned peas drain from can)
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10
Wash the rice with water and drain as much water as possible without spilling the rice
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11
Add Rice
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12
Before adding coconut milk /coconut flakes it is important to take note of how much water is already in the pot note that coconut milk is about 8.5 oz or 1/4 inch if you need to throw off water now is the time but make sure the water is about 1 inch above the rice and peas.
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13
Therefore 3/4 inch of water should already be in the pot to add coconut milk but to add coconut flakes 1 inch should be in the pot
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14
Add the coconut milk, stir.
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15
(boil for 1 minute)
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16
Add butter
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17
Add Crushed escallion previously stripped of old foliage and washed
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18
Add seasoning salt and pepper, stir fried seasoning and scotch bonnet pepper (you can stick a fork in the pepper for added flavour) Optional brown sugar
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19
Give it 1 good stir,taste if enough seasoning.
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20
Cover your pot and leave to cook on medium-high heat for 8 mins or at least watch the pot after 5 minutes until the liquid has been boiled out but not completely boiled and stir 1 little to ensure the rice didn't stick to the bottom note that if you stir it too much, your rice can get mushy.
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21
Cover the pot and turn on low heat and let rice cook 7 mins.
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22
Remove whole pepper from the pot.
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23
Just let rice cook, stir a couple more times after 5 minutes just to make sure the rice isn't sticking to the bottom when you check it to see if the rice is done.
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24
(optional add another tablespoon of butter)
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25
Note: If you notice the liquid is drying up but the rice is still not fully cook through, just add little more water as appropriate,cover the lid and continue to cook
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26
The Rice and Peas is now ready to serve when the rice is white in colour and swollen!
