SERVES : 2
COOKS IN : 35-40 MINUTES
DIFFICULTY : MEDIUM
I’ve never been to Jamaica, but it’s way up on my bucket list. Mainly because of it’s lush beaches and rich reggae culture, but also because I just love Jamaican food. The extreme use of spice, often used to compliment a fruity dish is just a match made in heaven.
What I love about Jamaican food, from the very little i’ve sampled, is the simplicity of the dishes, that just turn out to be incredible. A lot of Caribbean food is also made plant based, which is always a winner. They cook using home grown herbs, plants & beans and use their abundance of coconuts for milk.
The ultimate Jamaican dish of “rice & peas” is so simple, yet if made correctly can be unbelievable. I personally make this dish all the time, it makes an easy lunch that can be re-heated in the microwave, frozen & can be served alongside almost anything. You can make it as spicy as you like & even let it bubble away in some rum for an extra taste of the Caribbean. It’s also very healthy, beans are jam packed with protein and you can add some healthy greens such as spinach or kale for some extra goodness.
The patties i’ve made are much like empanadas, but i’ve used chickpeas, rum & coconut for the filling which is just insane. Another common stuffing for these patties are lentils in a spicy sauce of paprika & cayenne pepper.
INGREDIENTS
PATTIES
- 125g all purpose flour
- 50g dairy-free butter
- 50ml dairy-free milk
- Turmeric (to give it an authentic orange look)
- Salt
- Chickpeas
- 1/2 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- Splash of rum (optional)
- Coconut milk
- Paprika
- Spinach (optional)
RICE & PEAS
- 2 cups of rice
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp paprika
- Thyme
- 2 tbsp cayenne pepper
- Rum (optional)
- Coconut milk
- Beans (Black beans or kidney beans work best)
- Veggie stock
HOW TO MAKE IT
- Make the filling for your patties by frying onion & garlic for a couple of minutes until softened
- Add your chickpeas & a splash of rum and let it sizzle for a couple of minutes before adding your coconut milk
- Let this simmer for 10 minutes and add some optional spinach at the end
- Whilst the filling simmers, make your pastry by combining your flour, butter, turmeric, salt & milk and kneed into a dough
- Roll your dough out and cut into circles at your chosen diameter (about 6-10cm is ideal)
- Fill the middle of each circle and fold into a semi circle pressing the edges together to keep the filling enclosed (press the edges down with a fork)
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 180 C whilst you make your rice & peas
- Fry onion & garlic in a pan for a couple of minutes until softened
- Add rice to the pan along with enough a cup of veggie stock and a splash of rum
- Add thyme, paprika & cayenne pepper to the pan and simmer until the rice is almost cooked (keep adding water if it’s needed)
- Once almost cooked, add coconut milk and beans to the pan and continue to simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is completely cooked
- Serve the patties alongside the rice, with a possible rum-based cocktail in hand 🌴
ONO KITCHEN 