Ghanaian rice dish made with tomatoes, scotch bonnet pepper, onions, ginger and spices. Spicy, full of flavour and simply delicious.
When I got an invitation for #DestinologyReimagine competition, I just knew Jollof Rice was the dish I wanted to enter. The competition is sponsored by Destinology and the challenge is to reivent a classic national recipe
This rice dish is spicy, full of flavour and simply delicious. There has been many debates about the origin of Jollof rice. Wikepidia says it originated from Senegal, then spread across Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Sierra Leone and other countries in Africa.
Traditionally in Ghana we cook jollof with long grain rice. I have added my personal touch by infusing a South East Asian twist and using Thai Jasmine rice instead. I prefer to use Thai Jasmine rice because of it’s absorbency, fragrance, taste and texture.
To make jollof rice the basic ingredients needed are rice, onions, oil, tomatoes, scotch bonnet peppers, ginger paste, garlic paste and some spices. I will be posting step by step photos of how this delicious rice dish is made.
Heat a quarter cup of oil in a medium pot over medium heat for 2 minutes.
In a medium pot heat a 1/4 cup of oil over medium heat for 2 minutes. Saute chopped onions until golden brown.
Add 2 teaspoons of tomato puree and cook for about 1 minute while stirring.
Pour in a mixture of blended tomatoes and a scotch bonnet pepper. Add a teaspoon each of ginger and garlic paste. Cook tomato stew mixture over medium heat for 35 minutes until sauce thickens.
Add sprigs of thyme, 2 stock cubes, 2 teaspoons of all purpose seasoning and let simmer for 5 minutes
Whilst sauce is simmering, rinse thai rice to remove excess starch.
Add rinsed rice to tomato sauce.
Add half a cup of liquid beef stock, 2 cups of boiling water and stir. Cover pot with lid and turn down the heat on burner to low. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring in between, to prevent the rice at the bottom from burning.
When the rice has absorbed the liquid, stir the jollof rice, then cover the rice with foil. and replace lid. At this point you want to trap the steam and use it to cook the rice.
Cook jollof rice covered with foil for a further 15 minutes or until rice is cooked.
Season jollof with salt to taste
Ingredients
- 1 medium size onion
- 60ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
- 2 teaspoons tomato puree
- 2 X 400g tins of plum tomato
- 1 small scotch bonnet pepper(use more for a spicier sauce)
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon garlic paste
- small bunch of fresh thyme
- 2 vegetable stock cubes
- 2 teaspoons all purpose seasoning
- 660g (3 cups) Thai jasmine rice
- 120ml (1/2 cup) liquid beef stock
- 480ml(2 cups) boiling hot water
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
Heat oil in a medium to large pan and cook onions over gentle heat until soft or translucent.
Mix in tomato puree and stir for 1 minute.
Stir in a blended mixture of tomatoes and scotch bonnet peppers. Add a teaspoon each of ginger and garlic paste
Cover pot and bring tomato stew mixture to a boil . Reduce heat to low and leave to simmer for 35 minutes until sauce thickens.
Rinse rice to remove excess starch and set aside.
Add sprigs of thyme, 2 stock cubes, 2 teaspoons of all purpose seasoning and let simmer for 5 minutes
Add rinsed rice to tomato sauce. To rice add half a cup of liquid beef stock, 2 cups of boiling water and stir. Cover pot with lid and cook over low heat. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring in between, to prevent the rice at the bottom from burning.
When the rice has absorbed the liquid, stir the jollof rice, then cover the rice with foil. and replace lid. At this point you want to trap the steam and use it to cook the rice.
Cook jollof rice covered with foil for a further 15 minutes or until rice is cooked.
Season with salt to taste.
Serve jollof rice
This looks and sounds really delicious.
My Sunday dinner is sorted for today.
Thank you very much for this recipe Chichi. I look forward to making this todayfor the family.
Keep up the good work
Thank you for your lovely words
Well done.
Been looking for the instructions for a long time. Now I can cook my favourite food all by myself.
Thanks
I prepared this delicious food this afternoon and it was really yummy. Thanks you hou very much😘
Looks perfect.the step by step instructions is the best!
Yummy Yummy! Great step-by-step instructions!!! However, origin of jollof still remains debatable!!! 5*****
Spectacular.
Now we can all cook this classic dish ourselves.
I love all the flavors in this rice! Perfect with some chicken and a salad for dinner! Pinned!
This looks like a delicious side!