Cook-Up Rice, a Guyanese rice & peas meal, is a terrific one-pot dish that's packed with flavor! You can customize it with any type of peas, meat, and veggies you have on hand, and you'll have a hearty meal ready to go in about 40 minutes. Don't let some of the traditional ingredients deter you - this dinner couldn't be easier to create!
Today, I’m teaching you how to make a traditional Cook-Up Rice from Guyana, which is a descendant recipe of waakye.
Waakye is a simple, savory rice and beans dish native to northern Ghana. Our ancestors brought this versatile staple to the American South, Caribbean, and South America. I encourage you to follow the story through Waakye from Ghana, Rice & Peas from Jamaica, and Hoppin' John from the Southern region of the USA.
The Coined Breakdown
- Total Cost per serving: $1.40
- Total Cost (about 12 servings): $16.81
Ingredients
Consider this recipe to be a starting point. Guyanese Cook-up rice was created to be a dish that uses whatever you have on hand, so pretty much all of the legumes, veggies, and meat can be customized to what you can obtain! I visited a local African grocery store for some of these ingredients, and used what I could find at big box-chains for the rest. No pressure!
- Dry Black Eyed Peas - If you can remember, soak the dry beans in water then night before and then rinse. If not, see below for my quick-soak method for beans that has them ready to go in an hour!
- Parboiled Rice - Parboiled rice is rice that's been partially boiled in the husk. This type of rice can greatly withstand the long cooking time and large amount of liquid that we're using in cook-up rice! You can grab this from the rice aisle or International aisle of your local grocery store.
- Beef (optional) - Some people like their cookup rice to not have any meat; but we're using beef in this recipe. Try to find some boneless short ribs or other "stew" beef. You could also use chicken, pork, or fried fish (served on the side) - just adjust cooking times accordingly.
- Canned Coconut Milk - Coconut milk adds a very subtle sweet flavor as well as the perfect amount of creaminess you need for this dish. You can find these cans in the International aisle of your grocery store.
- Cassareep - Cassareep is a concentrated syrup created from the cassava root. It has a distinct flavor - if you've ever eaten Guyanese pepperpot, you've tasted it - and also acts as a browning liquid for other dishes. I wasn't able to find this locally, so I substituted it for a tablespoon of molasses!
- Wiri-Wiri Peppers - I'm a huge fan of spice, so wiri-wiri peppers give this dish the perfect kick of heat. If you can't find these, feel free to substitute with scotch bonnets, habaneros, or even fresh jalapeños.
Variations or Substitutions
Black Eyed Peas
- Pigeon peas
- Kidney beans
- Chickpeas
Cassareep
- If you can't find authentic cassareep, you can use molasses in its place.
Thai Basil or "Marrid Man Poke"
- You can get a similar flavor by combining regular Italian basil and a few springs of mint!
Meats
- Stew beef
- Chicken thighs
- Corned beef brisket
- Salted Pork
- Fried Fish (served on the side)
How to Make Traditional Caribbean Cook Up Rice
Step 1: Start by cooking your meat, seasonings, herbs, and peppers in some olive oil until the meat has a beautiful brown sear on the outside.
Step 2: Add in your soaked beans, rice, and beef bouillon cube.
If you forgot to soak the beans overnight, use this quick-soak method I list below!
Step 3: Stir in water, coconut milk, and cassareep (or molasses), and add a bay leaf to the pot.
Step 4: Cook for 20 minutes uncovered and 20 minutes covered.
That's it! Some people serve cookup really "wet" or soupy, whereas others like theirs more creamy and sturdy. Adjust the cooking time to your texture preference.
Recipe Pro Tip
- Mise en place. Gather all of your ingredients and prep them before you begin to cook. This dish is actually made pretty quickly, so it's helpful to have items ready to go!
- Watch the spice level. We're using pretty spicy peppers in this dish! I recommend removing the seeds from all of your peppers before chopping up. Also, start with 1-2 peppers and work your way up to 3-4 after you figure out your tolerance.
Recipe FAQs
No worries! With my quick soak method, you can have dry beans ready for cooking in about an hour.
First, rinse the beans in water and discard any debris. Strain the water. Next, boil the rinsed beans in a large pot, uncovered, for about 5 minutes.
Cut the heat off, then let the beans soak in the hot water for an hour. Rinse and drain the water once more, and you're ready to go!
I love to serve this with some fried plantains on the side as well as a crisp Homemade Coleslaw and English cucumbers for a fresh element.
This pot has all the fiber and protein you need - so I recommend your favorite fresh green vegetables like a Caesar salad or roasted asparagus!
Other Traditional Recipes from The Black Diaspora
In 2023, the theme of Black History Month is Black Resistance and Eat the Culture is recognizing the remarkable and, frankly, underrated resistance of our ancestors in bringing culinary traditions across the Atlantic to shape the vibrance of Black cuisine that we know and love today.
They physically and mentally carried African foodways across the deadly Middle Passage to pass down through generations. This year’s Black History Month Virtual Potluck traces popular dishes of the Diaspora from their West African roots to North America and beyond.
Share these recipes with your friends and loved ones and follow each participant by using the hashtag #BHMVP2023 on Instagram.
You can grab the full list of recipes from this year’s collaboration on the Eat the Culture website.
More One-Pot Meals You'll Love!
If you tried this Guyanese Cook-Up Rice Recipe, or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you! Thanks for visiting!
Guyanese Cook Up Rice
Equipment
- Chef's Knife
- Cutting Board
- Dutch Oven with lid
- Wooden Spoon
- Can Opener
Ingredients
- 1 cup black eyed peas soaked overnight or using the "quick soak" method
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1.5 pounds boneless beef short ribs chopped
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ tablespoon garlic powder
- ½ tablespoon onion powder
- ½ tablespoon oregano
- ½ tablespoon ground thyme
- 3 tablespoon Thai basil called "marrid man poke" in Guyana!
- 4 cloves fresh garlic minced
- ½ count yellow onion diced
- 2 - 4 count wiri-wiri peppers or scotch bonnets/habaneros
- 1 teaspoon beef bouillon or 1 cube/packet
- 3 cups water
- 1 can coconut milk 13.5 fl oz.
- 1 tablespoon cassareep or molasses
- 1.5 cups parboiled rice
- 1 count bay leaf
- 3 stalks green onions thinly chopped
Instructions
- Ensure your dry black eyed peas have been soaked overnight, or using the "quick soak" method I listed in the recipe notes.Rinse the soaked beans, and set aside.1 cup black eyed peas
- Chop the fresh garlic, Thai basil, onion, wiri-wiri peppers, and green onions.If you don't like a lot of spice - remove all of the seeds from the peppers!
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven on medium heat.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add in the chopped beef, dry seasonings, Thai basil, minced garlic, minced onion, and diced peppers. Stir to combine.1.5 pounds boneless beef short ribs, 1 tablespoon salt, ½ tablespoon garlic powder, ½ tablespoon onion powder, ½ tablespoon oregano, ½ tablespoon ground thyme, 3 tablespoon Thai basil, 4 cloves fresh garlic, ½ count yellow onion, 2 - 4 count wiri-wiri peppers
- Sauté for a few minutes until beef browns on the outside and the pot becomes fragrant.
- Pour in your soaked and rinsed beans and the beef bouillon.1 teaspoon beef bouillon
- Pour in the water, coconut milk, cassareep, and rice. Stir thoroughly, then add a bay leaf.3 cups water, 1 can coconut milk, 1 tablespoon cassareep, 1.5 cups parboiled rice, 1 count bay leaf
- Let the mixture cook for 20 minutes uncovered, stirring occassionally.
- Cover the pot with a lid and cook for another 15-20 minutes. The cook up rice should still be creamy.
- Remove the bay leaf and discard.
- Stir in the chopped green onions, taste, and add any additional seasonings you prefer. Serve with fried plantains and a crisp mango slaw. Enjoy!3 stalks green onions
Notes
- Rinse the beans in water and discard any debris. Strain the water from the beans.
- Boil the rinsed beans in a large pot of water, uncovered, for 5 minutes. You want the pot to come to a rolling boil.
- Cut the heat off, then let the beans soak in that hot water for an hour.
- Rinse and drain the water once more, then the legumes are ready to use!
Renae Williams says
I love this dish and the history behind it! Used chicken thighs since we don't eat a lot of beef. I couldn't find the peppers, but I'm a wimp with spice anyway, so I just left them out. So good! Thank you for the lesson in culture as well.
Shani H. says
Thank you for trying and leaving a comment Renae! I'm always here for some black history lessons. 🙂