Ghanaian Jollof Rice

Ghanaian Jollof Rice is a dish that’s cooked to perfection, and it is curated to bring you the brightly colored orange/red dish with the most tantalizing spices and flavor. 

Ghanaian Jollof Rice has the juiciest, richest, and spiciest meat to add some protein to the dish, if you choose to. Popular as a festive dish, it’s commonly served at parties and weddings. If enjoying this dish at home, don’t forget the Shito pepper as it will add depth of flavor to this rice.

This rice is closest you will get to the authentic way of making it. Traditionally, palm oil is used to make this rice. We do not use palm oil, therefore, canola oil is used instead.

A very good friend of ours who is from Ghana showed us how to make this rice. A few ingredients were not added as a preference; hence making it our version. However, the flavor is the same as you would find in most Ghanaian homes.

The rice is cooked in an (optional spicy) rich tomato-based sauce, making this an orange or red dish. So, if you are ready to tantalize your taste buds, let’s dive deeper into the details!

What Is Jollof Rice?

Jollof rice is a well-known rice dish originating from West Africa. It is made with meat, veggies, spices, tomatoes, and onions mixed in the long-grain rice and is served in a single pot.

The dish is made with fresh tomatoes, which are transformed into a paste, along with bell peppers, garlic, and onion – all these ingredients are mixed to make a stew for cooking the rice. 

The Origin & History 

Haven’t we all heard of the jollof wars between the Ghanaians and Nigerians? Well, all of them were focused on making the rice but do you know it originated somewhere else? You must be wondering about the place and Senegambia region from West Africa is the origin.

It is particularly called Senegal, and is popularly known as ceebu jen and thieboudienne, which is a combination of fish, rice, tomatoes, and onions.

Now, if you are wondering how this dish managed to make its place into the entire West Africa, it’s still a mystery.

This is because some people think that it came to the Senegalese Wolof tribe, while some have made its connection between jambalaya and jollof rice.

However, the direct connection remains contested even when there are similar dishes when it comes down to appearance. 

Jollof Rice & Haitian Pink Rice

In the event you might be wondering the linkage between the two, remember we mentioned the strong connection between the Haitian culture and our ancestral land from the Haitian food post. Well, here is another example of that linkage. 

Haitian pink rice is exactly our version of the jollof rice minus the bell peppers and fresh tomato stew.

Haitian pink rice is an extremely budget friendly meal that is done with tomato paste, garlic, and onions. All ingredients are regular staple items in every household, which makes it easy for most. 

The meal is well flavored with the ingredients listed, and often times it is seasoned with bouillon cubes, Haitian epis, or simply with salt and pepper to taste. The rice can easily be consumed on its own, but typically with smoked herring or poulet en sauce.

The Best Rice To Make Jollof

Since it’s a rice dish, it’s needless to say that rice is the most important addition to the dish. Now that we are focusing on the Ghanaian jollof rice, it is important to add that the rice varieties are different across a variety of West African regions.

To illustrate, Ghanaians focused on long-grain rice, including basmati rice and Thai jasmine. 

On the other hand, Nigerians prefer separated and plump grains of the par-boiled rice, including golden sella basmati rice, easy cook rice, and style rice.

However, the rice needs to be par boiled before milling, which leads to stiff grain that stays separated and don’t stick together during cooking. 

On the other hand, Ghanaian focus on being purists by defying the processed rice, but parboiling makes the rice easy to digest. 

The Ever-Famous Tomato Stew 

Now that we have covered the rice, Ghanaian tomato stew is the next big thing to tick off from the list. Tomato stew is made with a combination of fresh tomatoes, garlic, bell peppers, and onion. All of which develop a rich, delicious bold tomato stew. 

In the majority of cases, the onions are fried in oil, and the tomatoes are made into puree or paste for enriching the sauce.

All these ingredients are added to the pot and are made into a stew by reducing it into a rich and thick mixture. 

In fact, it achieves the oil film onto the top, and when you see the oil film, that’s the ultimate signal that rice should be added and more water has to be added for steaming. 

Ingredients Used In This Recipe

1 Large Onion; chopped 

6 Garlic Cloves

1 Bell Pepper: We used half of red and half of orange 

2 Cans (14.5 Oz.) Diced Tomatoes 

Shrimp Powder

¼ Cup Water: To blend the garlic and onions. 

1 Cup Canola Oil 

6 Oz. Tomato Paste

1 Cup Water 

1 Tbsp. Ginger Powder

2 Tbsp. Dry Shrimp Powder (Optional)

2 ½ Tsp. Curry Powder 

5 Cups Jasmine Rice; Washed

3 Bay Leaves

What About The Meat?

Ghanaian jollof rice can be made with or without meat, but the majority of people like having the juicy, rich, and spicy meat mixed into the rice. 

For the most part, lamb, beef, ram meat, or goat meat is used but let us tell you that beef and goat meat tastes the best.

However, it can also be made with fish and chicken. In fact, some people are also experimenting with the recipes, and corned beef is one of the most delicious options. 

Seasoning Variations For Ghanaian Jollof Rice 

This is one pot dish that has multiple spices and herbs for adding flavor and aroma to the recipe. However, whichever type of meat you choose will change the course of spices. 

Truth be told, the traditional recipe is loaded with the rich cloves’ aroma, and it actually tastes delicious with beef and goat meat. 

Some other seasonings include chicken spice, bouillon cubes, salt, along with dry aromatic herbs, including mixed herbs, bay leaves, and thyme. 

In fact, you can find the premade jollof mix blend to flavor up and spruce the dish. However, this dry spice blend is available in African countries only and certain international grocery stores in the United States. 

How To Make This West African Rice

To make this rice, start by washing the rice until the water runs clear. Set the rice aside. 

Next, chop the onions, wash, and drain. Set and aside. 

Peel the garlic and set aside. 

Cut half of the bell peppers and remove the seeds. Drain the tomatoes and set aside. 

Next, blend the onions and garlic with ¼ up water. Blend the ingredients until smooth. Pour the onion mixture into a bowl and set aside. 

Blend the tomatoes and peppers. Be sure to remove the seeds from the bell peppers. Blend to a smooth consistency. 

In a large saucepan, add 1 cup of oil. When heated through, add the onion mixture over medium high heat. Stir well. Continue stirring and cooking for 5 minutes. 

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the tomato paste, continue to stir until well incorporated. Continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes. 

Add the seasoning (ginger, salt, bay leaves, and curry powder) stir well to combine, then add the tomato mixture and shrimp powder. Stir well to combine, cover, and cook for an additional 20 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally to avoid burning. 

Meanwhile add 1 cup of water to the blender. Stir the water around so that the remaining tomato and onion are incorporated in the water. Set it aside. 

After 3 minutes remaining, pour the water mixture in the tomato mixture. Stir well. Work fast as you do not want the tomato mixture to splash too much. 

After the 20 minutes are up (remaining 3 minutes), add the rice. Stir well to combine.

Reduce the heat to medium low, cover the rice with parchment paper, then with the lid to allow the steam to fully cook the rice. Stir the rice every 3 to five minutes to avoid burning at the bottom. 

Once the water has completely evaporated, the rice should be nice and fluffy. Garnish with bell peppers and serve well. Enjoy. 

Adding Vegetables To The Rice

The last part of making Ghanaian jollof rice is the vegetables, although it is optional, and it’s all about stirring a mixture of vegetables, including peas, green beans, and carrots. 

While these vegetables are a common part of jollof rice, they were added to improve the nutritional profile of the rice – these vegetables make the bright addition to the dish.

In addition to these vegetables, you can also add eggplants, tubers like potatoes and cassava, and cabbage. However, these latter vegetables are commonly used in the Sahel and thieboudienne regions of West Africa. 

Tips To Make This Delicious Rice 

If you ever want to try your luck with this delicious one-pot rice dish, we have some amazing tips to help you make the best dish, such as;

• Don’t forget to wash the rice because it helps remove excess starch and keeps the mushy texture at bay.
• Always simmer the stew at a low and slow heat to bring out the flavors 
• Blending the ingredients are optional, If you are comfortable with making the rice, you may opt in to using rich fresh ingredients (tomatoes, onions, and garlic). Chopping and cooking the ingredients fresh will help reduce the amount of splashes while the vegetables fry. 
• You can change the spices and salt according to your liking.
• Don’t add too much water, but if the rice dries out too much, you can always add more water.
• Drain the tomatoes. Remove any water from the tomatoes as you do not want it to make your rice soggy. 
• If adding vegetables, add in the vegetables to the rice towards the last 5 minutes.

How To Pair Your Jollof Rice 

Jollof rice is so versatile. There are so many ways to pair it. Our favorite way to pair this rice is with any of our favorite Haitian food recipes. Here are a few suggestions. 

Haitian cashew chicken 

Haitian Tasso

Okra Stew

Haitian Akra (Accra)

Haitian Fried Chicken

Curry Goat Recipe

Haitian Lalo

Instant Pot Oxtail

More Rice Recipes To Enjoy

If you enjoyed this Ghanaian Jollof rice, we recommend you try one of these rice recipes next. 

Instant Pot Haitian Rice And Beans

Baked Chicken And Rice

Instant Pot Pigeon Peas Rice

Sweet Potato Rice

Okra Rice

Haitian White Rice

Haitian Black Rice

Caribbean Chicken And Rice Recipe

Dill Rice Recipe

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