Rice And Peas, Inauthentic Style

You've probably heard of the West Indian dish, "rice and peas".  It's a side dish and you have it with jerk pork/chicken/goat/etc.  Or at least I believe you do.  Despite living in a West Indian neighbourhood for several years and eating my fair share of West Indian food, I never really learned the finer points of the cuisine. 

I remember once trying to make potato curry the way the local curry-n-roti place made it.  I used to have it often with a vegetarian friend.  My attempt didn't work out in the least.  After thinking about it for a very long time, I came to the conclusion that the secret ingredient in that place's vegetarian dishes was meat.

Anyways.

Rice and peas is made with black eyed peas, which are one of my favourite legumes.  They aren't really easy to find outside of West Indian neighbourhoods, but thanks to all the health-conscious SUV-driving (isn't it ironic?  don't you think?) people in my current neghbourhood, they're way easier to find now than they used to be.    

One of many rice and peas lunches. 

The rice and peas from the other night -- which I had for lunch several times in the subsequent days -- was not authentic, but it was still tasty.  It was made with Uncle Ben's basmati rice that I found on sale.  I didn't even know Uncle Ben's made basmati rice!