Have you heard the term “jollof wars?”
Well, I can assure you that my goal is not to start a war. However, there are many debates as to which country produces the most delicious and mouth watering version of this dish. Jollof rice is enjoyed in many west African countries including, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, The Gambia and more. Senegal is its birthplace.
Today I’m sharing a simplified Ghanaian recipe from the children’s book Femi the Fox: A Pot of Jollof.
Here’s what you need;
- 4 medium fresh tomatoes
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon garlic puree
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 500g basmati rice
- 2 cubes vegetable stock
- salt and black pepper
- bunch of fresh thyme
- Place the tomatoes in a blender for about 45 seconds. Make sure everything is well blended.
- In a medium sized pot, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped onions and wait until they turn golden brown. Add the tomato paste, garlic puree and fry for 2-3 minutes.
- Put the blended tomato mixture (save about 1/4 cup and set aside) into medium sized pot. Cook the mixture on mediem heat for about 15 minutes. Make sure you keep on stiring the mixture so that it does not burn.
- After 15 minutes, add vegetable stock. Mix and add your seasonings (salt, pepper, and thyme). Continue to boil this mixture for another 10 minutes.
- Now its time to add the rice to the pot. Remember to wash it. Mix the rice very well with the mixture in the pot. You may have to add a little bit more water. Cook on medium to low heat for 20-30 minutes.
- When the liquid has almost dried up, add the remaining tomato mixture. Cover with a lid, and let it cook for another 5-10 minutes. Heat until any left over liquid has completely dried up.
- When dried, turn off the heat and mix thoroughly. Your jollof rice is ready to eat.
It tastes great with fried plantain and a salad. For our family we decided to do fruit kabobs because they’re fun and colorful. This dish is now very popular in our house.
Hope you have fun cooking and eating jollof rice. Tag us @globalkidzhouse
-Christine