"Peas" here means red kidney beans, simmered down with coconut milk into a thick, savory stew. It's traditionally made with salted beef or pig tail for depth, plus "spinners" — skinny hand-rolled flour dumplings. Serve it ladled over plain white rice.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups dried red kidney beans (or 2 cans)
  • ½ lb salted beef or pig tail (optional), well soaked
  • 1 can (400ml) coconut milk
  • 1 onion + 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 scallions + 1 tbsp fresh thyme
  • 1 tsp ground pimento
  • 1 whole scotch bonnet
  • Flour + water for spinner dumplings
  • Salt & black pepper; water to cover

Method

  1. If using salted meat, soak it well (or boil and drain once) to remove excess salt. Soak dried beans overnight.
  2. Boil the beans (and salted meat) in fresh water until tender, about 1 hour. Canned beans skip this.
  3. Add the coconut milk, onion, garlic, scallion, thyme, pimento and the whole scotch bonnet. Simmer 20 minutes.
  4. Roll spinners: mix flour with a little water and salt into a stiff dough, roll pencil-thin pieces, and drop them in. Simmer until they float and cook through.
  5. Lightly mash some of the beans against the pot to thicken the stew. Remove the scotch bonnet, season, and serve over white rice.

🥥 Thick & rich

Mashing a portion of the beans is the secret to that signature creamy, thick gravy — no cornstarch needed.