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Guyanese cook-up rice
One-pot rice with black-eyed peas, pumpkin and okra in coconut milk with thyme and wiri wiri pepper
Cook-up rice is the dish Guyanese families make to see in the New Year, and on any Saturday when the week's odds and ends go into one pot. Rice, black-eyed peas and vegetables simmer in fresh coconut milk with fresh thyme, spring onion and a whole wiri wiri pepper (small, round and fiery) until every grain is soft and glossy. It's richer and wetter than Jamaican rice and peas, with the vegetables cooked right in. Chef's tip: let the pot sit covered off the heat for 10 minutes at the end; the rice finishes in the steam and a little crust forms on the bottom that people fight over.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat 2 tbsp coconut or vegetable oil in a heavy pot over a medium heat. Fry 1 onion for 5 minutes until soft, then add 4 cloves garlic, half of 4 spring onions and 4 sprigs fresh thyme for 1 minute until fragrant.
6 minStep 2: Add 10 ½ oz pumpkin and 5 ½ oz okra and stir for 3 minutes.
3 minStep 3: Add 14 oz cooked black-eyed peas, 14 oz long-grain white rice (parboiled if you have it), 1 ¾ cups coconut milk, 2 ¼ cups water, 1 ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Lay 1 wiri wiri or scotch bonnet pepper on top whole. Bring to the boil. A whole pepper gives flavour and gentle heat; break it and the pot gets fiery.
Step 4: Cover tightly, lower the heat to minimum and cook for 20–25 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Common mistake: stirring during cooking; it breaks the rice and makes it gluey.
25 minStep 5: Turn off the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes. Remove the pepper and thyme stalks, scatter over the rest of the spring onions and fold gently from the bottom to mix in the crust.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 74 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does guyanese cook-up rice take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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