Pigeon Peas and Rice Recipe

A wooden bowl filled with fluffy Pigeon peas and rice, garnished with chopped scallions and a whole Scotch bonnet pepper on top. The bowl sits on a striped cloth.

Pigeon Peas and Rice Recipe

Pigeon Peas and rice is a classic Caribbean dish, popular in Jamaican, Guyana, Trinidad and even with our Latin brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico. It is made with rice, coconut milk, aromatics, and tender pigeon peas for that signature flavor.

Course Rice Side Dish

Cuisine Caribbean

Keyword how to make jamaican rice and peas, how to make rice and peas, jamaican rice and peas, jamaican rice and peas recipe, rice and gungo peas, rice and peas

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 1 30

Pigeon Peas Soaking Time 8

Total Time 9 35

Servings servings

Calories 468kcal

Author Althea Brown

Equipment

Instant Pot
Large Skillet or Pot for Rice

Ingredients

2 tablespoon coconut oil
6 cloves garlic (divided)
4 Scallions (divided)
1 small yellow onion (diced)
1 tablespoon brown sugar (optional)
1 cup dried pigeon peas (gungo peas)
2 cups Jasmine rice (rinsed)
3 cups coconut milk (see notes if using canned coconut milk)
3-4 Sprigs Thyme
2-3 Sprigs Thai Basil
1 teaspoon salt
4-5 whole all spice berries (pimento berries)
1 whole scotch bonnet pepper (for flavor, not heat)

Instructions

Soak and Cook the Peas

Rinse your dried pigeon peas, then soak with two cups of water overnight. When ready to cook, drain and rinse the peas. Then add the peas to a sauce pan with 6 cups of water, 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 cloves of garlic and 2 scallions. Add to high heat and bring to a boil. Continue to cook uncovered for 45 minutes to an hour or until the pigeon peas are fork tender. You may need to add more water as the peas cooks.
When the pigeon peas is ready, drain off the liquid and remove the garlic and scallions and discard. Sometimes I save some of the liquids to add to my coconut milk (if using canned coconut milk).

Make the Rice and Peas

Add a large saucepan or skillet to medium heat. When it is hot add the coconut oil and when that is hot add the diced onions.
Cook for about 2 minutes or until the onions are a little translucent. Then add the sugar. Stir to combine and let cook for another minute before adding the garlic and the cooked pigeon peas from earlier.
Next, add the rinsed rice, coconut milk, thyme, thai basil, scotch bonnet pepper, pimento berries and salt. Stir to combine.
Then bring the pot up to a boil uncovered (about 5 minutes), then reduce the heat to low. Cover and allow to steam until the rice is fully cooked (about 20 minutes).

Fluff the rice

While the rice is cooking, thinly slice the remaining scallions. When the rice id done use a fork to remove the thyme and Thai basil stems, then add the scallions. Gently fluff the rice so that the scallions and all the other ingredients and any ingredients resting on top are evenly distributed. Cover and let the rice rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Make it in the Instant Pot

Turn on the sauté function on your instant pot and wait until it is hot (it will beep when it is hot). Add coconut oil to the instant pot, then when it is hot (this should take about a minute) add the the diced onions and cook for a minute or two then add the brown sugar and let it caramelize until it becomes melted but still light brown in color.
Add the garlic and cook for a minute or 2 then add the cooked pigeon peas. Mix together well then add washed Jasmine rice, followed by the coconut milk, salt, thyme, thai basil, scotch bonnet pepper and pimento berries.
Stir together, then seal the instant pot and set it to high pressure for 10 minutes. To set the instant pot to high pressure, you must first hit cancel to take it out of the sauté mode. In older models you then hit manual, adjust to the desired time and it’s ready to pressure cook. In newer models select pressure cook, adjust to high pressure and adjust the time. Alternatively you can also just select the rice option on the Instant Pot.
When the instant pot cooking cycle completes, release the pressure by venting the instant pot (see instructions in the instant pot manual for quick release venting).
Fluff the rice and peas with a fork and mix together to distribute any peas and seasoning that may have settled on top of the rice during cooking.
Serve warm.

Notes

You can easily use canned pigeon peas in this recipe to significantly reduce this recipe's prep time. Canned pigeon peas comes in dried and green option. I prefer the dried pigeon peas but green works well too.

Nutrition