Jollof Rice
Jollof Rice Recipe
Also called Benachin, meaning “one pot” in West Africa, Try it as tasty 🙂
Ingredients
2-3 table spoons of oil Oil for frying
One chicken (and/or a pound or two of stew meat), chopped
into bite sized pieces
1 large onion ( finely chopped )
Salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper (to taste)
Flavouring add-ins (to taste): chilli pepper (chopped), garlic,
thyme, bay leaf, ginger, cinnamon, curry powder
2 cups chicken stock or beef stock
3 ripe tomatoes (chopped)
Vegetables add-ins (to taste): sweet green pepper (chopped), green beans, green peas, carrots (chopped), cabbage (chopped)
4 cups rice
1 small can tomato paste
Meat add-in: cooked ham, prawns (or dried prawns)
Garnishes: fresh parsley (chopped), cilantro (chopped), lettuce (shredded), hard-boiled egg (sliced)
Method:
1. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large skillet. Stir-fry the chicken (or beef) in the oil until it is browned on all sides. Remove the meat from the oil and set aside. Add the onions, the salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and one or two of the flavouring add-ins (if desired) to the skillet and fry the mixture until the onions begin to become tender. Remove the onion mixture from the skillet and set aside with the meat.
2. In a Dutch oven or large covered cooking pot, bring the broth and two cups of water to a simmer. Place the meat and onion mixture into the Dutch oven and cover.
3. In the same skillet used for the meat and onions, stir-fry the tomatoes and one or two of the vegetable add-ins. Continue frying the mixture until the vegetables are partly cooked, then add them to the meat, onions, and broth in the Dutch oven.
4. Again in the same skillet, combine the rice and the tomato paste. Over low heat, stir until the rice is evenly coated with the tomato paste. The rice should end up a pink-orange colour. Add the rice to the Dutch oven and stir gently.
5. Cover the Dutch oven and cook the mixture over a low heat until the rice is done and the vegetables are tender (maybe half an hour). Stir gently occasionally and check to see that the bottom of the pot does not become completely dry. Add warm water or broth (a quarter cup at a time) as necessary to help rice cook. Adjust seasoning as needed. If desired, add one of the meat add-ins while the dish is cooking. (Shrimp cook very quickly and should not be over-cooked or they will become tough; ham can be added at any time).
6. Serve with one or two of the garnishes.