Low Fat Caribbean Rice and Beans
This is a great ethnic dish that comes together beautifully. It's satisfying enough to be an entree with onions, plum tomatoes, rice, coconuts and plantains. You'll need a pressure cooker for this one, but the result is a tasty, and healthy dish.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 cup onions, coarsely chopped
- 1 red chili pepper, seeded and chopped, or crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup red bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- 2 cup boiling water (use higher amount in jiggle-top pressure cookers)
- 1 1/2 cup long-grain brown rice
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cooked pigeon or black-eyed peas
- 1/4 cup cilantro, finely minced
- 2 ripe plantains, peeled and cut on diagonal into thin slices and fried
Instructions
- Heat oil in pressure cooker. Add garlic, onions and chili pepper; cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, 1 minute.
- Add bell pepper, tomatoes, water, rice, coconut, thyme and salt. Lock lid in place. If using a jiggle-top cooker, set on a flame tamer.
- Over high heat, bring to high pressure. Lower heat just enough to maintain high pressure; cook 25 minutes.
- Allow pressure to come down naturally 10 minutes (if after 10 minutes pressure is not released, use a quick-release method to release lid). Remove lid.
- Add cooked peas and cilantro. Stir well to distribute coconut. Serve topped with plantains.