Reggae rice
Serves 4-6
Preparation time 5 minutes
Cooking time 40 minutes
If you use precooked chicken, you should have a meal on the table in 20 minutes. For a vegetarian dish, use beans with a sprinkling of feta cheese.
You need
- 1-2 cups uncooked rice (preferably basmati)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 sweet chilli, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 cayenne pepper, chopped
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or plain)
- 1 tin of tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon sugar, honey or tomato jam
- Fresh herbs such as thyme, parsley and onion sprouts, chopped
- And one or a combination of the following
- Chicken pieces (thighs with skin have the most flavour)
- 1-2 smoked pork sausages, or 100g chorizo or bacon
- 8-10 prawns or 1 cup mixed seafood (defrosted and cleaned)
- 1 tin red beans, drained
Here's how:
- Pour rice into a pot. Put your hand on the rice and pour water onto the back of your hand until the water level reaches the top of your pinkie. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place over hot coals or on a cooker. Bring the water to boil and remove from the heat, but keep the lid on. Put the pot aside and allow to cool. The rice should cook in about 20 minutes.
- If you’re using raw chicken, heat a dash of olive oil in a pot. Fry the chicken until golden brown on all sides.
- Add the onion, sweet chilli, garlic and spices and fry until the onion starts to change colour. Add the tomato, sugar, and chopped sausage. Cover with a lid and let the pot simmer until the chicken is cooked (about 20 minutes). If you are not using chicken, cook for 15 minutes.
- If you’re using precooked chicken or beans, add them now.
- Allow the pot to simmer and then add the seafood or prawns and stir. Replace the lid and let the pot simmer for 2 minutes until cooked through. Raw prawns might require an additional 3 minutes.
- Add the rice to the pot, stir and season with ground black pepper and salt. Chopped lemon, thyme and parsley also work well.
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