Most of the traditional Jamaican food recipes have similar ingredients and authentic flavors. Listed are three popular ingredients used in Jamaican dishes.
Coconut Milk
Coconut milk is one of the most used ingredients in several Jamaican recipes. It is found in several areas of the Caribbean and is easily accessible. Natural plant-based milk provides the healthy taste of many of the soup ingredients. Cooking with starch and coconut milk is the main ingredient in many sauces.
Spinners (small skinny boiled dumplings)
Spinners are a favourite food used in Jamaican cuisine. Adds amounts to recipes and leaves a delicious meal. Spinner dumplings consist of universal flour, salt and water. What makes spinner dumplings so popular is how they can add an enormous amount of flavour to some West Indian dishes.
Like traditional Jamaican cooked dumplings, spinners soak up the different flavours of legumes, spices and vegetables. A little Jamaican accompaniment to a variety of Caribbean dishes makes for a delicious, authentic dish. A few recipes known to include spinners dumplings are stewed peas with meat, mannish water, pumpkin bouillon, Jamaican brown stewed chicken, and red peas soup.
Scotch bonnet
Scotch bonnet is one of the most used peppers in Jamaica and the Caribbean. Based on the recipe, you need to be careful not to let the soda in the kettle. The hot pepper ends in a spiral, causing volcanoes to erupt on your mouth.
These recipes are unique to Jamaican dishes. With the perfect ingredient, you can transfer the flavour of this Caribbean island to your kitchen.
The real flavour of Jamaican recipes comes from herbs and spices. Moreover, the passion for meeting the eating of the soul ends with a tasty meal. Visit your local West Indian tropical supermarket stores and purchase these ingredients.
A classic recipe for a Jamaican dish with spinners, Scotch pepper and almond milk.
Jamaican Stewed Peas Recipe
Traditionally, this protein-rich dish is eaten for lunch or dinner. Pea stew is boiled and served on plain white rice. The ingredients for stewed peas are similar to cooking red pea soup.
Ingredients:
1 lb. diced beef
1 lb. red peas (kidney beans)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup coconut milk
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1 medium onion
2 stalks chopped scallion.
2 sprigs thyme
3 crushed cloves garlic
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
Instruction:
- Wash and soak read peas overnight to allow for easier cooking. If you are not able to soak fresh kidney beans, use canned red peas instead.
- Chop beef into small cubes and season with half of the seasoning. Reserve half.
- Heat oil in a saucepan and braise beef.
- Add peas, 2 cups water, and braise beef to a pressure cooker and cover. If a pressure cooker is not available, boil kidney beans in a bouillon pot.
- Allow pressuring for 20 minutes or cook in a bouillon pot for 60 minutes. Peas and beef should be soft when done cooking.
- Once done, remove and add coconut milk.
- Add the remaining seasoning and allow simmering on low heat for 10-15 minutes.
- While simmering, add flour and salt to a mixing bowl.
- Gradually add water and knead the all-purpose flour mixture until it forms a smooth dough. Make small spinners dumplings with dough.
- Pinch tiny pieces of dough and roll between the palms of your hand to form the spinner dumplings.
- Add Jamaican dumpling spinners to your stew and simmer with the other ingredients until the liquid becomes slightly thickened.
- Retain as much thickened stew sauce as possible.
- Remove from heat and serve warm with plain white rice.
Beef may be a substitute for your favorite meat, fish, or poultry. Jamaicans use pig’s tail, beef chicken foot, or codfish in their stew peas recipe.
