Bahamian Style Peas and Rice

As a Bahamian who frequents this site regularly I thought I'd help out by reviewing this recipe. A few substitutions can be made to make this dish more authentic to our country, but all in all it is a good recipe. Tomatoes, ketchup and celery can be added, but for the most part they aren't included. An ingredient that is normally included but wasn't listed here is diced green bell pepper. Try adding maybe a half of a pepper or a whole one if you really like it. Also, instead of using fresh thyme, we'd normally let it dry out before cooking with it for a stronger flavor. Pigeon or black-eye peas can also be substituted for canned kidney beans if you can't find either, although we'd call that 'Bean 'n Rice' instead :-) Now all you need is some baked macaroni with your favorite meat or fish and you're all set!

I haven't tried the recipe yet, but my husband was born and raissed in the bahamas and I have made this many times. The critique I would have is that there is way to much tomatoe paste used in the recipe. I've always been told to use about 1/4 of the small can. (you can freeze the rest) No ketchup or tomatos has ever been added. Be careful with the Thyme, it is a strong herb. Black eyed peas is another name for the pea.

This recipe is closest to how my Bahamian friend prepares his. Instead of bacon he used small cubes of salt pork, sauteed until brown. He then added the chopped onion and garlic. After the onions were cooked, about one or two minutes he stirred in a can of tomato paste, no tomatoes. about a cup of washed white long grained rice, then enough water to just cover the rice. He set the heat on low and just let the rice cook slowly until all liquid was absorbed. He then fluffed the rice, adding the peas at the end. He flavored it also with salt (did not need much) and thyme. This is a good recipe.

Excellent Recipe! Just like we had in the Bahamas! I found the pigeon peas in the Goya section at the grocery store. I used tomato sauce instead of paste since I had an open can. This made a HUGE skillet full. I served it with some mexican fare, and it was a hit.

This recipe is pretty close to what I ate while I lived in Nassau. It is definitely missing the minced green pepper and it has more tomato flavor than normal. I'd cut out the ketchup and tomato and just do the tomato paste. But other than that it is a good recipe.

My husband is from the Bahamas and I have yet to find a recipe that is most like his. This one is missing a few ingredients such as the coconut milk and the salt pork.

This recipe turned out quite well, and made a LOT for just my husband and I. It didn't taste like what I remember our Puerto Rican neighbor making as a child, which is what I was looking for, so though I probably wouldn't make it again, it was still a good recipe.

Excellent-quick and easy

Although I never been to bahamas, I am glad to have stumbled onto this recipie. Being tired of the same old white rice time after time, I was looking for something different and easy to make. I followed it exactly exept for the celery. I had none so I added roasted red peppers instead. I could have added the green pepper instead as another reviewer said, but I don't really like green peppers. Anyway, my family loved it and so did I. I will be making this again. P.S. I don't know what the person who said that the tomato paste simmered to the top. You must have done something wrong because this turned out nicely cooked and fluffy. Thanks for the recipie.

I read some, but not all, of the reviews and stopped, realizing I really didn't care whether this was the "authentic" way to make this, especially since the submitter titled her recipe Bahamian "Style" Peas and Rice. After reading the directions again before writing this review, I found I did not prepare this as the recipe directed, but only because I was careless in following the directions. I had drained the pigeon peas (which I found in an international market) and cooked the rice separately, both of which were contrary to the directions. The dish didn't seem to suffer for it. I did deliberately add the ketchup but skip the tomato paste. I also added some minced fresh garlic, basically because I had some left over from a dish Hubs was preparing and we liked that addition (authentic or not). When I first read the list of ingredients I knew this was bound to be a winner, and I was right. This is an interesting rice dish with a well-balanced array of ingredients and flavors. It does, indeed, have Caribbean flair, but we served this with grilled skewers of steak and shrimp, "Surf and Turf for Two," also from this site.

This rice was not good at all! It could have used more flavor and all the tomato ingredients simmered to the top of the rice. I just wasn't pleased at all

Very good. I added the pigeon peas towards the end so they wouldn't dry out. This recipe gives the rice a very good flavor. I will make again, but next time I will use a different bean because my husband wasn't fond of the pigeon peas.

I pre-cooked the rice to speed this up. Turned out great. Paired it with jerked chicken.

This is a good recipe. I am a Bahamian and I grew up eating peas and rice. I would suggest a few modifications to really make it more like you would taste if you visited the Bahamas. While cooking down the onion and bacon mixture add dried thyme (gives a richer flavor than fresh thyme), also add green sweet pepper about 1/2 medium, and "goat" pepper, also called scotch bonnet pepper (only about 1/2 tsp, this is a very hot pepper) and 1 tsp chopped garlic. Omit the ketchup, it's not needed. If you can find pigeon peas in coconut milk in the can it adds a nice flavour to the rice. Bahamian peas and rice usually has a rich brown color and this is due to the addition of "browning" (only use a little as it can have a bitter taste if too much is added, this however is not a must, but it does keep the rice from looking anemic :-). Also traditionally "salt pork" is used instead of bacon, but bacon will do if it is not available. Enjoy with any meat. I like it so much I can eat it all alone especially when it has salt pork :-). Hope this helps. P.s. You have to add salt to the pot after water is added and season to taste (just before adding the rice ), you will not need much if you used salt pork.

Well I made no changes and we have eaten this 4 times in the last 4 weeks....great recipe and it goes real well with my Jerk Chicken and Sauteed Plantains....Thanks a bunch for the recipe. It is a keeper my husband says!

My husband loves peas and rice and has been asking for me to find a good recipe - as so many do not taste authentic. This was a great recipe that he actually loved and the rest of the family did too - even though he and I are the only ones that are fans of carribean food. Grandma and son liked it too!

Pretty darn good but I like my rice a bit less...soft. Cut back about a 1/4 cup on the water or omit the fresh tomato. And I swapped the celery for a cubanelle pepper, as I was taught in Georgetown.

awww yea now thats the stuff:-}

It tasted more like paella than peas and rice, but then I've only ever eaten the Jamaican peas and rice. Aside from that, my rice took more than 2 hours to cook!! And it did get burnt at the bottom, hence the paella taste. Not my favourite.

Excellent! Great Flavor!

Very yummy....I did add a little extra salt at the end. Would definately make again! Reminds me of our trip to the Bahamas! Thanks to the review who mentioned the pigeon peas can be found in the Goya section!

Easy to make. I think i used too much tomato past. My moms was better but my som loved it.

I made this mostly as written and found it to be pretty bland. Overall a little disappointing, I've been looking forward to trying this for a long time and it just didn't live up to expectations. Probably won't make again but I'm glad I tried it. Just to clarify my rating has nothing to do with authenticity. The submitter clearly states it is "Bahamian Style" which means to me it is her interpretation.

Nice recipe. Except for Jamaica, no one else in LatAm or the Caribbean uses katsup. Um, no! We have tomatoes. And you don't put celery in a bean dish...ever. Aside from that, its a good recipe.