Caribbean · Jamaican comfort food
Jamaican Stew Peas
A rich coconut stew of red kidney beans, corned beef, pumpkin, and tender spinners.
6servings20 minprep2 hrcookOne potmethod
From Dianne's kitchen
A true Jamaican comfort meal
Stew peas is a deeply comforting Jamaican pot of beans, meat, coconut milk, herbs, and dumplings.
Serve it hot with white rice for a satisfying family meal.
What you'll need
Ingredients
For the stew
- 2 cups dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight
- 2 pounds corned beef, cut into pieces
- 1 cup pumpkin, peeled and diced, optional
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 3 thyme sprigs, divided
- 1 whole Scotch bonnet pepper
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
- ½ teaspoon allspice berries
- Salt, to taste
- 2–3 cups water, or enough to cover the beans and meat
For the spinners
- 1 cup flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup water
Step by step
Instructions
- Add soaked beans, corned beef, enough water to cover, bay leaf, allspice, half the onion, 2 thyme sprigs, half the garlic or garlic powder, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and pumpkin if using to a large pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer until beans and meat are tender, about 2 hours.
- Add coconut milk, remaining onion, remaining garlic or garlic powder, scallions, remaining thyme sprig, whole pepper, remaining ½ teaspoon black pepper, and salt.
- Mix flour, salt, and water into a firm dough. Pinch off pieces and roll into tapered spinners.
- Add spinners to the pot and simmer 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
- Remove the whole pepper and allspice berries before serving. Serve hot with white rice.
Dianne's kitchen tip
Keep the pepper whole
Do not burst the Scotch bonnet unless you want a much hotter stew. Salted pigtail or salted beef may be used after boiling and rinsing to remove excess salt.