Cape Verde | Main dish

Jagacida

Name: Jagacida
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Cape Verde, West Africa
Ingredients: 2 cups long-grain rice, rinsed; 2 cups cooked kidney beans or lima beans, drained; 1 cup linguica or smoked sausage, sliced; 1 large onion, chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 2 whole bay leaves; 2 tbsp olive oil; 3 cups water or light stock; salt and pepper, to taste

Cape Verdean beans and rice cooked with onion, garlic, bay, and linguiça-style sausage or kept vegetarian.

Country

Cape Verde

Region

West Africa

Time

40 min

Serves

Level

easy

Start cooking Explore Cape Verde recipes

01 / Get ready

Everything you need

Tap each ingredient as you gather it. Illustrations are visual guides; follow the ingredient names and quantities.

Servings 6

Scale the dish before you shop, then use the checklist while you cook.

Jump to method My cookbook

Ingredients

For 6 servings

Main dish

Base

2 cups long-grain rice, rinsed 2 cups cooked kidney beans or lima beans, drained 1 cup linguica or smoked sausage, sliced [Sub: omit for vegetarian]

Aromatics

1 large onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced

Seasoning

2 whole bay leaves

Fat

2 tbsp olive oil

Liquid

3 cups water or light stock

Finishing

salt and pepper, to taste

A few kitchen essentials

Suggested from the recipe method. Use equivalent equipment you have.

Wooden spoon

02 / Let’s cook

One step at a time

Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.

Back to Cape Verde

4 steps 10 min prep 30 min cook (check method) 40 min total easy

Brown aromatics

Cook onion, garlic, and sausage in oil until fragrant and lightly browned.

aromatics 08:00

Coat the rice

Stir in rice, beans, bay leaves, salt, and pepper so the grains are glossy.

coat 03:00

Simmer

Add water or stock, cover, and cook until rice is tender.

rice simmer 18:00

Steam and fluff

Rest off heat, covered, then fluff gently and serve.

steam 07:00

Some families use kidney beans, lima beans, or peas; some add linguiça while others keep it vegetarian.

Cooking notes, photos & serving ideas

Recipe context

More about this dish

Serving ideas, regional context, and cooking cues for when you want more detail.

When to cook it

Best for weeknight dinners, cookouts, and family sides.. Plan on a easy cook. Allow about 40 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Grilled fish, cachupa leftovers, fried eggs, or hot sauce.

Regional lane

Cape Verde national table. A structured Cape Verde dish in the AfroKitchen archive.

Chef watch-outs

Adding too much liquid after the rice goes in.
Stirring too often once the grains should be steaming.
Rushing the base before the raw edge has cooked out.

How you know it is ready

The grains should be tender but still distinct, with steam carrying the seasoning upward.
The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
Oil, sauce, broth, or steam should look settled and deliberate.

Recipe photos

See the dish before you cook

Take a closer look at the dish and its serving ideas.

Jagacida recipe from Cape Verde — Jagacida finished dish

Chef board

Build the table around Jagacida

Grilled fish, cachupa leftovers, fried eggs, or hot sauce.

Best route from here

Cape Verde national table

Collections to keep cooking

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