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African Jollof Rice

By DK on Oct 02, 2009

I am always on the lookout for rice recipes - and if it is simple enough, it makes my life much easier. Also it helps for packing lunch box. Talking about which - I have to say that while it is indeed a god saver to have a husband who has some international taste in food ( having eaten in countless restaurants for many years) since you get some free tips on different recipes all over the world - it also comes with unwanted package. You know you are always going to be judged with some restaurant standard tastes. So when I try to create some 'had-this-dish-in-so-and-so-restaurant' recipe (of course without knowing how it should taste in the first place, I most often end up with 'uhh-nice-but-well-that-one-was-different'. Ask 'what's different?' and pat comes the most unhelpful answer 'mm-dunno-something-missing'! Great! Now I know!!!!!!!!!!!

Few recipes work bang on - like Focaccia, Kimchi, Bee Bim Bap and Ratatouille which worked bang on with him the very first time I made it (and which I had never tasted before then). On those cases when I actually have them later in the restaurants, it amazes me sometimes how close many of my such tries come so close :) In this list is this Jollof rice. He has had the vegetarian version of this dish. It is similar to Indian Tomato rice only with some protein (meat, fish etc) added to it. I used Seitan to replace the meat (which is entirely optional). One can use only vegetables alone. The variety of vegetables depends on you. How to make african jollof rice recipe

African Jollof is also called as ''Benachin'' which means 'One Pot' in the Wolof Language. It is a popular dish especially in Nigeria and Ghana and enjoys quite a handful of variations. The basic components seem to be the same which has ingredients like Tomatoes, tomato paste, rice and onions. The kind of meat or vegetables is entirely up to you along with spices. Here is my version with more vegetables and vegetarian protein - seitan.

Basic Information

Prep Time: Under 15 min

Cook Time: Under 30 min

Serves: 2 people

Ingredients

1 cup rice (long grained or medium variety)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
1 onion
2-3 cloves of garlic (as per taste)
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
1-2 green chillies ( or as per taste)
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 large tomatoes,chopped finely
1 carrot,cubed
1 pkt Seitan, cut into small chunks ( about 2 cups - Skip it make this recipe gluten free
1/2 cup each of chopped beans and peas (I used frozen hence added last. If using fresh cook it along with the rice)
salt to taste
cilantro or parsley to garnish

Method

Add 1/4 tsp groundnut oil, add the cumin seeds and when they splutter add onions along with ginger,garlic and chillies

Add the chopped carrots next and saute for a minute with little salt.

Add the tomato paste, tomatoes along with curry powder. Cook until tomatoes get slightly soft. Add the rice next. Saute for another 2 minutes or so.

Add 3 cups of vegetable stock/water, required salt,close the lid and cook until 90% cooked

Add the frozen peas and beans along with Seitan. Since I used to precooked variety, it just needed warming up and not cooking per se. Hence added them last along with frozen vegetables. If using fresh add it along with rice.

Stir it until well combined, add nutmeg and cook for another 5-6 minutes or so for the flavors to get together. Add lots of garnish and serve hot.

I served with some vegetable chips and some raita. Any raita will go well with this dish. How to make african jollof rice recipe

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39 Responses to “African Jollof Rice”

joel

April 5th, 2013 on 12:47 pm
i am a ghanaian and i dont really know a lot of the foodstaffs.probably because we are used to the local names.is there a site that has this kinda info? telling the public the english names for some or all of the ghanaian vegetables..
Ghana Girl

April 2nd, 2013 on 5:23 am
Great recipe. I see some comments saying that this is not how it’s made, but there are several variations of the dish and they dont have to be exactly the same. I’m 100% ghanaian and a self-proclaimed jollof aficionado ( ) and I also have several different methods for making it. Great job.You seem to have grasped the concept of the dish very well. BTW what is Seitan?

Thank you . Seitan is Wheat gluten and has loads of protein. You can say its a Vegetarian’s meat.–DK
Nithya

March 22nd, 2013 on 3:12 pm
Interesting Recipe.. Awesome Clicks
tana

March 22nd, 2013 on 10:44 am
I’m so excited to make this meal
Ingmar

March 20th, 2013 on 10:41 pm
Joloff Rice recipe is almost accurate – but it also needs Palm Oil and it is prepared just a bit different than described
Florence

March 16th, 2013 on 2:54 pm
may I I have the recipe too? My father was Ghanaian and I have been trying to make jalof rice like him since he passed. Today is his birthday and I am making it for my new in laws and siblings.
sweet

February 27th, 2013 on 2:46 am
Im going to try this recipe this coming Tuesday, Im taking up hotel and restaurant management and in our laboratory. I have international cuisine subject. Our cuisine next meeting is an African dishes. I would love to use this recipe as our main dish. is it okay?
Dee

February 10th, 2013 on 6:53 am
you have a nice recipe but this is not how we make our jollof. this is totally different. you don’t seem to have enough tomato sauce. veggies are up to you but I would put less to get the taste of the rice. I’m a pure Ghanaian so if you would like the recipe I’d be glad to give it to you.

Oh yes, wud love a recipe from you –DK