What Is Jamaican Stew Peas?
Stew Peas is one of Jamaica’s most popular dishes amongst a few others on my post. Traditional stew peas for the pork eater will most definitely have pigs tail. For non-pork eaters, it may be cooked with beef stew instead. And for vegetarians, it can be done just as delicious without meat and any choice of vegetable such as sweet potato or pumpkin pieces.
I, for one am very picky about finding a good stew peas cooked just the way I like it with the right amount of pigs tail, spinners, peas, and plenty of coconut milk, not too thick, with a lot of stewed peas, coconuty milky sauce.
Stewed Peas brings a lot of childhood memories to me as it was a favorite in our home amongst my siblings and I. As young adults, we all called our parents to find out how to cook this as it still remains a favorite for us. I hope you too will enjoy my version of stew peas. This makes a very hearty and satisfying meal.
Ingredients for Jamaican Stew Peas
- Pigtail – Substitutions can be beef, some people even use chicken or as a vegetarian you can use any vegetables of choice along with sweet potatoes, irish potatoes, pumpkin or additional bean varieties.
- Red Peas
- Scallion
- Garlic
- Fresh Thyme
- Scotch Bonnet Pepper – I use this whole just for flavoring, but if you want it spicy, you can used some cut up pieces.
- Pimento Berries
- Flour – To make the dumplings
- Coconut Milk
How To Prepare Jamaican Stew Peas
*This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclaimer here.
- Some people prefer to soak the peas overnight, however you can start by boiling or pressure cooking the red peas along with beef (if using) until mostly soft.
- In a separate pot, the pigs tail is boiled twice to remove the excess salt.
- It is then cut in smaller pieces and added to the peas pot to continue cooking with the seasonings.
- Form the dumplings (spinners), and roll into shape as pictured.
- If using coconut milk powder, dilute and mix with water according to directions.
- Add coconut milk. It is stewed down a little longer until perfectly cooked.
Jamaican Stew Peas
Ingredients
Stew Peas
- 3 Lbs. Pigs tail or Beef or a mixture
- 1-1/2 Cups Dry Red Kidney Beans
- 4 Cloves garlic minced
- 10 Cups Water divided
- 4 Stalks Scallion
- 6 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 1 Scotch Bonet Pepper
- 1/2 Tbsp Pimento Berries
- 2 13.5 oz. can Coconut Milk or 2 cups
Dumplings
- 1 Cups Flour plus more for kneading
- 1/8 tsp. Salt
- 1/4 Cup + 1 & 1/2 tsp. Water
Instructions
-
Wash peas and set in a deep pot with about 6 cups of water or enough to cover peas and the garlic. Soak overnight in a covered pot.
-
Wash off excess salt off pigstail and boil in fresh water for about 15 minutes.
-
Remove and rinse in cold water and cut up at joints.
-
** PRESSURE COOKER METHOD :
When ready to cook, Place the peas and beef (if using) along with the garlic, 2 stalks of scallion roughly cut, 2 sprigs of thyme leaves, a small amount of the pimento and enough water to adequately cover in the pressure cooker, cook on high for 20 minutes after pot starts making the pressuring sound. Remove and check if both are almost cooked and tender. Beef may finish before the peas, if so remove beef, cut up and set aside.
-
To check if peas are cooked, using a couple peas, place on a plate and try to cut through the middle with a spoon or fork, you should be able to cut through easily without feeling resistance if soft enough. Check a couple peas as some may be soft and others still hard. If needed, pressure another 10-15 minutes at a time until soft enough. (add pig tail to peas before pressuring at this point)
-
Add pigtail to peas and continue pressuring peas another 10 minutes. If using beef, add back beef at this point. Transfer to a regular deep pot to finish cooking.
-
Make dough for dumplings by placing flour & salt in a medium bowl and whisk together. Add water, first stirring with a spoon until dough comes together , then use hands to knead, adding more flour as needed so the dough is not sticky. Knead around a couple minutes. Pinch off about 2 Tbsp pieces of dough at a time and roll in palm of both hands, making the ends thin to create what we Jamaicans call spinner dumplings. Add to pot when peas are soft and in the last 15 minutes of cooking.
-
Add coconut milk, 2 stalks of scallion, 4 sprigs of thyme leaves, the rest of pimento and 1 whole scotch bonnet pepper (poke a small hole in it with a sharp knife) right after dumplings. Cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes. Add enough water so not thick but semi-liquidy. Or to thickness of your preference.** (optional) Remove pepper from pot if you don't want it to become too spicy.
-
** If using a regular pot), Place peas and beef (if using) in a large pot to boil. In a sperate pot, still boil pigstail by itself about 20 minutes, cut in pieces, add to peas and continue boiling on high heat. In a regular pot it may take at least 1-1/2 hour or more for peas and beef to cook. Cook until when cut with any utensil, it is mostly soft, and beef mostly soft as well.
-
When everything is mostly soft, continue adding the other ingredients and cooking according to above directions.
-
Best served with white rice.
Gonna try stew peas. Wanna try jerk pork (shoulder), haven’t eaten it n 20 years. Need the recipe. Please & Thanks #Jamerican
Hi Pamela,
Great, let me know how your stew peas turns out. You can also find my oven baked jerk pork recipe on my blog as well!
I like the looks of your dish looking yummy
Thank you
I am a Jamaican 🇯🇲 and yes this is the right way gonna make it tomorrow am feeling for it for sometime now
Great to hear! Let me know how you like it!
This is a tasty recipe and easy to follow. I cooked it for my mother and she loved it. I am a vegan so I took some of the peas out before the pig tail went in.
Great to hear you both enjoyed it Lori. Thanks for leaving a comment.
What if your stew peas too white, like u add too much coconut milk.what should u do.
Hi Vanessa, first of all, did you start with 2 cups of dried peas or can? and how much coconut milk did you use, then I can better answer your question.
I made this before and my jamaican husband loved iI. But now I don’t see when to add thyme, pimento berries, scallions and scotch bonnet pepper?
Hi Naima, My apologies, thanks for pointing that out. I will update with that information now. I usually add a little of the thyme, pimento and scallion in the beginning when I am boiling the peas because I like the smell it sets off while cooking. I also then add all of them again when adding the coconut milk before finishing up the dish. Hope this helps.
Tastes awesome
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.
If using pressure cooker, do you put beef in with the peas, garlic, water and pigs tail (step 3)?
Hi Anne, thanks for your question. If using the pressure cooker and bbef, yes, you would add the beef with the peas and garlic to pressure alone separately and then add the pigtail after. I have updated the recipe so it’s better understandable. Hope you enjoy.
Thank you!
Excellent recipe! Most authentic one in my Google search.
Great to hear! Hope you enjoy and thanks for the comment!
@Dianne, I bought small cut up pigtails but it’s not salted pig tails, is that OK? I saw the salted one and it scared me with so much salt like codfish.
Hi Lamia, I have never used unsalted pigtails or do I think it is traditionally used in Jamaican dishes, so sorry I would not be able to say. Yes, I know it is very salted such as codfish, but we boil out most of the salt and the finished dish is best with a little salted flavor left in the meat for traditional stew peas. I don’t think most people like when we don’t get that little salty flavor as its just not the same.So, you eat little pieces of the meat at a time with your peas, dumplings and white rice to get a balanced taste. I hope this helps, but if you try the unsalted ones you can tell me how it tastes. I hope you will give the salted ones a try sometime. I personally don’t find stew peas to be the same when the pigtails are even over boiled and no saltiness is left in it.