Opinion – Terra Vegana: Jamaican rice with peas is good for special occasions

Today’s recipe is perfect for anyone who wants to prepare a special dinner, without spending a lot of time or money in the kitchen. I hope some couple can do it to celebrate their anniversary or wedding anniversary — I tried to do it on mine, but it all went wrong.

It wasn’t the recipe’s fault. On the fateful day, January 21, I left work and entered the mall, determined to prepare a surprise like that. I went into a lingerie store, tried on several, didn’t take any.

I walked into an appliance store, grabbed a handheld vacuum (what better gift for an asthmatic husband?), but the long checkout line convinced me that no one there was about to celebrate anything, so I gave up.

Frustrated, I sought refuge in my safe place: the supermarket.

I started to fill the cart with ingredients to prepare the Thai menu that had been the subject of the class I taught that day, but, thinking about all the mise en place I would have to do, I could only feel sorry for my students who spent four hours foot cutting peppers and shallots in petit brunoise.

Then I remembered a super easy recipe I learned to prepare when I went to Le Cordon Bleu, a Jamaican rice with beans and coconut milk.

Unable to find the gungo bean in the original recipe (a round, light brown bean whose mild flavor is similar to our string beans), I grabbed a bag of frozen peas. To spice up the dish, I took a red onion —that’s right, a single unit—, a bunch of mints, panko flour (traditionally used in Asian breads, but I love making farofa with it), balsamic vinegar and a handful of almonds. .

I came home with all the ingredients for a perfect night. I turned off all the lights, lit candles. Lacking roses, I threw dried tea flowers on the bed and put on my Piu Piu nightgown.

I started to sauté the garlic for the rice and… pom! The electricity went down all over the building.

I hurriedly prepared a tomato salad with peas, almonds and red onions, revived an stale bread, opened the wine and maintained the pose, sitting at the table, waiting for the man who, upon entering the house, said only: “The light is out in the whole neighborhood.”

And who, when looking at the table, added: “Don’t you want to order a pizza?”.

Months later, I posted the recipe on my Instagram and a follower commented that she made it on her wedding anniversary, and that it was a success. Thanks for every thawed pea I ate that night—the delivery guy switched the pizzas, and we had the Hawaiian one, with lots of cow’s cheese, pineapple, and ham.

Jamaican rice

Yield: 2 servings

INGREDIENTS FOR RICE

½ cup of basmati rice

2 cups of frozen peas

200 ml of coconut milk

200 ml of water

4 tablespoons chives, cut into rings

4 tablespoons mint, cut into strips

3 cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon of olive oil

Black pepper, to taste

INGREDIENTS FOR GARNITIONS

1 medium red onion

1 tablespoon of olive oil

3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

¼ cup of almonds

½ cup panko or breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon of vegan butter

PREPARATION

1. Rice: Cut the garlic into cubes and sauté in olive oil. When it starts to brown, add the chives and mix. Add the rice and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add the coconut milk and water and cover the pan. Cook over medium heat until the water evaporates.

2. Onion: Cut the red onion (with the skin) into 2 cm slices. Place in a frying pan with a drizzle of oil. When golden, turn each onion ring and add enough water to flush with the onion rings. Cover the skillet and cook over medium heat until the water evaporates completely. Open the skillet, drizzle the onion rings with balsamic vinegar and turn off the heat.

3. Farofa: chop the almonds and set aside. Bring the butter to melt in the skillet. Add the almonds and a pinch of salt and stir until golden. Add the flour and stir over low heat until crispy.

4. When serving, remove the onion skins. Serve the rice in a deep dish, with the onion rings on top and a strip of farofa. Finish with mint leaves and the balsamic leftover from the skillet.