What is Ghanaian Jollof Rice?
Jollof rice is a popular rice dish notable with people from West Africa. It is made with meat, vegetables, spices, tomatoes and onions mixed and cooked with the long-grain rice in a single pot. The delicious dish is made with fresh tomatoes, which are blended into a paste along with bell peppers, garlic, and onion all these ingredients are mixed to make a stew for cooking the rice.
While jollof rice is thought to have originated in Senegal, countries like Nigeria and Ghana have their own way of preparation and each believes that their version is the jollof rice. From the Ghanaian perspective, I can boldly say that Ghanaian jollof rice is a particularly special treat. It can also be found in the Caribbean especially Jamaica for their connection with West Africa.
Cooking The Best And Delicious Ghanaian Jollof Rice At Home
What’s the secret to great jollof rice?
To make Ghanaian jollof rice, begin by soaking rice in water as it removes the starch and allows the rice grains to stay separate when steamed in a rich stew. The stew is made with ingredients quite integral to West African cuisine: onion, ginger, garlic, scotch bonnet pepper, Roma tomatoes, Maggi, and mackerel. When all of these ingredients mixed together, the result is seriously addictive one pot Ghanaian jollof rice.
Ingredients
The ingredients needed for this recipe are quite simple, and you can use them again and again for different dishes. They are especially handy for other Ghanaian recipes.
- Rice – The fragrant, long-grain white rice is used to make Ghanaian jollof because it is fluffy and the grains stay separate after cooking.
- Vegetable Oil – Jollof rice requires a lot of oil. Don’t be shy! You want your stew to be fried well as this adds to the flavor.
- Aromatics – Onions, ginger, garlic, and scotch bonnet pepper are the base for just about every savory Ghanaian recipe, and this dish is no exception. I like to add bay leaves as well to add more depth to the stew.
- Tomatoes and tomato products – This recipe calls for fresh tomatoes, tomato paste, and mackerel packed in tomato sauce. Canned mackerel in tomato sauce can be found in West African and Caribbean grocery stores; if you are unable to find it, you can substitute a cup of canned tomato sauce and mackerel packed in water for one can of canned mackerel in tomato sauce.
- Herbs and spices – Smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, dried ginger, cumin, curry powder, thyme, and oregano make for a deliciously spicy, smoky one pot Ghanaian jollof rice.
- Salt and Pepper – These two seasonings are mainstays in just about every kitchen. I like to use Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. The quantities of salt called for in the recipe below reflect the fact that kosher salt is less salty than table salt. I also add an entire Maggi seasoning cube for an extra burst of umami flavor, and would not recommend leaving it out. It gives the jollof rice its signature taste.
What spices are in jollof rice?
Smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, dried ginger, cumin, curry powder, thyme and oregano makes deliciously spicy, smoky one pot Ghanaian jollof rice.
Recipe
- 2 1/2 cups uncooked basmati rice
- 1/2 cup of vegetable oil
- 2 yellow onions, halved
- 1 2 inch piece ginger, peeled
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 scotch bonnet peppers
- 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 6 Roma tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 Maggi shrimp cube (optional, can substitute with salt or bouillon)
- 14-oz can mackerel in tomato sauce, roughly chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons Jamaican curry powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- salt (to taste)
What Cooking Equipments To Use When Cooking Jollof Rice?
A large, heavy bottomed pot with a lid, a blender, and a wooden spoon are helpful when making this recipe.
How To Prepare Your Jollof Rice : Step by step instructions
- In a medium bowl, cover 2 1/2 cups basmati rice with water. Set aside.
- Heat a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup of vegetable oil.
- Blend onions, ginger, garlic, a scotch bonnet pepper, caraway seeds and 1/2 teaspoon salt with 1/4 cup of water. Add mixture to oil and fry until onions are translucent.
- Blend Roma tomatoes, smoked paprika, chili powder, and Maggi with 1/4 cup of water. Add to onion mixture and simmer on medium heat for about 10 minutes.
- Add mackerel in tomato sauce, bay leaves, tomato paste, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, curry powder, thyme, and salt to the stew.
- Bring mixture to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 1 hour or until dark and reduced. Stir every 10 minutes or so to ensure the stew does not burn.
- Drain rice and season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
- Add rice and scotch bonnet pepper to tomato stew and fry over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Add 1½ cups of water to the pot. Once the tomato-rice mixture is boiling, reduce the heat to low.
- Cover the pot with a paper towel or towel and a lid.
- Cook rice covered for 10 minutes and stir. Put the towel and lid back on and cook for another 10 minutes then stir. Repeat this for a third time, cooking the rice covered until tender (about 5 minutes more).
- Turn the heat off. Keep the pot covered for about 10 minutes to allow the steam to finish cooking the rice.
Cooking tips
- Soak the rice – Soaking the rice removes the starch and keeps the rice from becoming mushy after cooking.
- Take your time – A stew simmered low and slow is the secret to delicious jollof rice.
- Adjust the seasonings to your liking – If you like less salt or more spice, change it to suit your tastes.
- Avoid soggy jollof rice – Do not add too much water to the pot! Add water one cup at a time, adding more only if the rice has dried out too much.
sides for one pot Ghanaian jollof rice
- Grilled, fried, or baked chicken
- Roasted beef or lamb
- Grilled, fried, or sautéed seafood
- Fried plantains
- Ghanaian Salad – Fresh greens provide balance to the rich flavors of one pot Ghanaian jollof rice.
How long can jollof rice be stored in the fridge?
Jollof rice leftovers can be refrigerated up to five days and frozen for one month, reheat in microwave and enjoyed as delicious as it is.
Also read… Top Beaches In Ghana To Visit
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