Jollof rice, also called 'Benachin' meaning one pot in the
Jollof language, is a popular dish all over
West Africa. Its base consists of
rice,
tomatoes and tomato paste,
onion, salt, and
chili pepper, to which optional ingredients can be added such as vegetables, meats, and other
spices.
Ingredients:oil for frying
one chicken (and/or a pound or two of stew meat), chopped into bite-sized pieces
one or two onions, finely chopped
salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper (to taste)
Flavoring add-ins (to taste)
chile pepper, chopped
garlic
thyme
bay leaf
ginger
cinnamon
curry powder
two cups chicken broth or chicken stock, or beef broth or beef stock (or Maggi® cubes and water)
two or three ripe tomatoes, chopped
Vegetable add-ins
sweet green pepper (or bell pepper), chopped
string beans or green beans
green peas
carrots, chopped
cabbage, chopped
four cups rice
one small can tomato paste
Meat add-ins
cooked ham
shrimp or prawns (or dried shrimp or dried prawns)
Garnishes
fresh parsley, chopped
cilantro, chopped
lettuce, shredded
hard-boiled egg, sliced
Method:*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 flavoring 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.
*In a 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.
*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.
*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 color. Add the rice to the dutch oven and stir gently.
*Cover 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.)
Serve with one or two of the garnishes
