Pigeon Peas and Rice: Tender Peas, Lime and Thyme in One Pot
Get the peas tender before the rice goes in, then let the rice absorb the liquid under the lid. Butter, thyme, lime and a little hot sauce are all the seasoning this version uses.
The peas come first. Dried pigeon peas soak overnight or boil for about two hours, then go back on the heat in fresh water. Only then do the rice, lime juice, thyme, butter and hot sauce join them, and the lid stays on for about twenty minutes.
Tourism Anguilla lists pigeon peas and rice among the island's classics, alongside johnny cakes and goat stew. This recipe follows the Anguilla-based version published by the West India Committee, without the optional meat. It can anchor a meal or sit beside meat or fish.
The dried peas need time, but the rest is simple, and everything finishes in a single pot.
This recipe has not been kitchen-tested by us. The West India Committee recipe does not give the amount of water for cooking the rice. The 2 cups (about 470 ml) of liquid used here is our editorial guide, based on the 1:2 ratio of rice to liquid in two other Anguilla recipes: the Anguillian Cuisine blog and a user-submitted recipe on Food.com. Treating 200 g of rice as a little over 1 cup is also our own conversion. Watch the rice as well as the measurements.
Ingredients
Equipment
- Bowl for soaking the peas
- Fine-mesh colander or strainer
- Pot with a lid
- Measuring cup
- Spoon
Finding Pigeon Peas and Choosing Rice
Pigeon peas are not stocked everywhere, so search for both "pigeon peas" and "gungo peas" and check whether the product is dried or canned. The amount here is for dried peas and should not be read as a canned weight. Soaking and cooking times vary by product, so follow the directions on the bag if it gives them.
Any rice can be used without a particular brand or variety. The liquid guide is based on a long-grain conversion. If you use short-grain rice, the texture may change, and you shouldn't assume it will absorb the same amount of liquid.
If the Pot Goes Off Course
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| The peas are still hard after coming back to a boil | Keep cooking them before you add the rice. There is no fixed time, so go by the bite |
| Liquid is still in the pot when the time is up | Replace the lid and keep cooking over low heat, then check again |
| The liquid is gone but the rice is still firm | Cover and continue over low heat, checking often |
| The peas are firmer than you want in the finished dish | Next time, cook them longer before the rice goes in |
| The flavor seems flat | Add salt and black pepper a little at a time, and offer hot sauce at the table |
Variations That Change the Pot
With corned or salt beef. This optional version uses 1/4 lb (about 114 g) of corned beef or salt beef. Boil the meat first, then add it when you return the peas to the boil. The meat adds salt, and products differ in saltiness, so season only at the end.
More or less heat. Hot sauce is entirely a matter of preference, so adjust it to suit the people at your table.
As a main or a side. Serve a bowl on its own as the center of a simple meal, or put it beside meat or fish. Keep any accompaniment separate so the peas and rice stay as they are.
One Dish, Several Names: Peas and Rice in Anguilla
Tourism Anguilla names pigeon peas and rice as an Anguillian classic, but its guide gives no recipe or method. The recipe details here come from the West India Committee's Autumn 2020 circular, which presents the dish as one with many variations across the Caribbean and offers a version based in Anguilla.
The same publication notes that in Anguilla the dish is usually called peas and rice, while the Caribbean diaspora in Britain tends to say rice and peas. So you may meet the same idea under either name, and the words alone won't tell you which recipe you have.
Versions across the region can differ in name, type of peas, the use of coconut milk and the addition of meat. Jamaican rice and peas, Dominican moro de guandules and Puerto Rican arroz con gandules are separate dishes in their own right. None of them is more or less genuine than this one, but their ingredients and proportions aren't mixed in here. The sources used for this article don't establish a single origin for the dish, so we don't claim one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the amount of liquid come from?
The West India Committee recipe, which supplies the main ingredient amounts and method, doesn't specify it. The Anguillian Cuisine blog uses 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of liquid, made from pea cooking liquid topped up with water, and cooks it covered for about 20 minutes. A user-submitted Anguilla recipe on Food.com also pairs 1 cup of rice with 2 cups of water. We applied that ratio to the 7 oz (about 200 g) of rice here, as an editorial guide rather than a West India Committee figure. This recipe has not been kitchen-tested.
Can I use canned or fresh pigeon peas?
We don't give an amount for them. The West India Committee's listing mentions dried, fresh and canned peas together, but its conversions are unclear, so only the dried figure of 6 oz (170 g) is used here. If you try canned peas, treat it as your own experiment, because neither the quantity nor the liquid has been worked out for this recipe.
How long should the peas cook after soaking?
The sources used here don't give a fixed time, and we don't invent one. Cook them in fresh water until they are soft, then add the rice. Times also vary by product, so check the bag for directions.
Should I add coconut milk?
Not to this version. The Anguilla recipe used here doesn't include it. Some other Caribbean versions of peas and rice do, and they are better made from their own recipes.
Does it need meat?
No. The West India Committee lists corned or salt beef as optional. This recipe uses the meatless version, and the Variations section explains how to add the beef.
Sources
- Tourism Anguilla, "Anguilla Food & Restaurant Guide." Lists pigeon peas and rice among Anguillian classics, alongside johnny cakes and goat stew. It contains no recipe, ingredients or method. https://tourismanguilla.com/food/
- West India Committee, "Pigeon Peas and Rice," West India Committee Circular, Autumn 2020. The main basis for the Anguilla-based recipe, naming note, ingredients and method, including soaking overnight or boiling for two hours, simmering the rice for about twenty minutes, and the optional corned or salt beef. It does not specify the rice cooking water or extra pea cooking time, and only its dried pea figure is used here. https://westindiacommittee.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/WIC-Circular-Autumn-2020.pdf
- Anguillian Cuisine, "Rice and Peas," blog post, May 26, 2015. A personal blog recipe used only for the liquid guide: 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of pea cooking liquid plus water, covered for about 20 minutes until absorbed. Its pea amount is not used here. https://anguilliancuisine.blogspot.com/2015/05/rice-and-peas.html
- Food.com, "Pigeon Peas and Rice (Anguilla)." A user-submitted recipe, not an official Anguillan authority. Used as a cross-check for the soak or boil options, optional corned beef, lime, thyme, butter, hot sauce and covered simmer, and for its matching ratio of 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of water. https://www.food.com/recipe/pigeon-peas-and-rice-anguilla-467406
