Jamaican Coconut Rice

/ QJA Cooking, Side Dishes / By

This is a sweet rice dish that goes well with spicier and hotter stews or meats. In this case, it was originally prepared in conjunction with my Jamaican Oxtail Stew.

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 whole head garlic
  • 2 cups long-grain rice
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 2 cups coconut milk
  • 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2-3 teaspoons thyme
  • 1 whole Scotch bonnet or habanero chile
  • 1-2 cups chopped cilantro (half to a whole bunch)
  • 1 Lime

Preparation

  1. Dice the onions into 1/4 – 1/2 inch pieces
  2. Set the onion aside
  3. Juice the lime halves completely, removing seeds where possible
  4. Set the juice aside
  5. De-stem the cilantro, although you don’t need to cut off each leaf so much as cut the end portion of each cilantro stalk off from the lower, thicker portion
  6. Chop the cilantro into fine pieces
  7. Set the cilantro aside
  8. Cut the top off the garlic head (this is the hard bit that you can’t eat)
  9. Separate each garlic clove and squash with a ramekin
  10. Remove the entire husk from each garlic clove
  11. Put the garlic cloves into your food processor or immersion blender and chop until minced
  12. Set the garlic aside
  13. Peel (or cut) the hard, outer husk of the ginger, leaving only the juicy fibrous inside
  14. Chop the ginger root into half-inch pieces
  15. Put the ginger into your food processor or immersion blender and chop until minced
  16. Set the ginger aside
  17. Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium to high heat
  18. Add the diced onions and sauté for about 5-7 minutes, or until they brown on the edges and start to go clear
  19. Add the rice and garlic, stirring as they cook for another 2-3 minutes – the rice may start to darken in color
  20. Add the ginger, salt, water, stock and coconut milk and stir well. Add the kidney beans and sprinkle the thyme over everything. Add the whole Scotch bonnet chile (or habanero); it will season the rice much like a bay leaf would. Bring to a simmer, then turn the heat to low and cover.
  21. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked throughout
  22. Check after 15 minutes.
  23. Once done, remove from heat and let it stand covered for about 10 minutes
  24. Remove the pepper
  25. Add in the chopped cilantro
  26. Add in the lime juice
  27. Mix thoroughly
  28. Serve as a side dish or with stews like my Jamaican Oxtail Stew
Scroll to Top