Jollof rice with kelewele

Name: Jollof rice with kelewele
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Ingredients: 2 plantains; 1 tbsp of olive oil; 2 tbsp of ginger, grated; 1 small onion, roughly chopped; 4 garlic cloves; 1/2 Scotch bonnet chilli; 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp coriander seeds, toasted and crushed; 1/2 tsp caraway seeds; 1/4 tsp nutmeg; 1/4 tsp cloves; 1 tsp sea salt; fresh thyme, leaves picked; 5 ripe tomatoes, or 400g passata; 1 onion, roughly chopped; 1 Scotch bonnet chilli, (blended, or pierced and dropped into the pot for less heat); 2 tbsp of ginger, grated; 5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped; 1 red pepper, roughly chopped; 2 chillies, roughly chopped; 2 tbsp of olive oil; 1 tbsp of smoked paprika; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp ground ginger; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp ground coriander; 1 tsp ground black pepper; 2 tsp ground turmeric; 1 bay leaf; 400ml of vegetable stock

by Lerato Umah-Shaylor

Item 1 of 1

Main
easy
6-8
1 hour 20 minutes

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Jollof rice is the most famous dish to come out of West Africa and is beloved for its smoky, fragrant and warming flavour. Lerato's recipe contains smoked paprika to recreate the traditionally smoky taste (without the need for any actual fire) and it comes topped with kelewele, a Ghanaian dish of spiced plantain.

First published in 2019

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Jollof is a West African favourite that embodies memories of family and togetherness. I created this recipe to mimic the smoky flavours from the embers of the wood fire which produces the tastiest rice (which Nigerians call party rice). With a range of interpretations, from an original Senegalese recipe known as thieboudienne (pronounced cheboujen), to benachin in The Gambia, and jollof in Nigeria and Ghana, this one-pot wonder is enjoyed across the region and beyond. A favourite at home and in my cooking classes, this is a great West African sharing feast with Ghanaian-inspired kelewele (spiced plantains).

Ingredients

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Kelewele

2 plantains
1 tbsp of olive oil
2 tbsp of ginger, grated
1 small onion, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves
1/2 Scotch bonnet chilli
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp coriander seeds, toasted and crushed
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 tsp sea salt
fresh thyme, leaves picked

Jollof purée

5 ripe tomatoes, or 400g passata
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 Scotch bonnet chilli, (blended, or pierced and dropped into the pot for less heat)
2 tbsp of ginger, grated
5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 red pepper, roughly chopped
2 chillies, roughly chopped

Jollof rice

2 tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp of smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp ground turmeric
1 bay leaf
400ml of vegetable stock
2 tsp sea salt
300g of easy cook long grain rice, thoroughly rinsed

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Method

Begin by preparing the kelewele. Cut about 1.5 cm off the tips of the plantain. Make a lengthways incision into the skin and peel the plantain. Halve lengthways, then slice into 1.5–2cm chips

Prepare a marinade by blending all the remaining kelewele ingredients, reserving some of the thyme sprigs for a fresh garnish. Add the plantain chips to the marinade and leave to sit for 20 minutes while you prepare the jollof

Make a purée for the jollof rice. Blend all the ingredients together, then heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a wide saucepan and add the purée. Cook on medium heat for up to 20 minutes, until the purée is reduced and drier in texture

Add the dry spices and smoked paprika to the purée, stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add the rinsed rice, stock, salt and bay leaf

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6

Stir the rice well and add a little more water if needed, to completely submerge the rice. Bring to the boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low

Check the rice regularly, carefully pushing the grains from the sides without stirring in order to check for water. Jollof rice needs to be cooked slowly with lots of steam – only add a little water at a time if it dries out. It is okay if it burns a little, as this will help to infuse even more smoky flavour into the rice, and someone will enjoy eating the burnt bits. Overall, it should take no more than 30 minutes to cook

In the meantime, place the marinated plantain chips on a baking tray with as little liquid as possible. Bake for up to 30 minutes, checking at 15-minute intervals. Once cooked, they should be crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside

To serve, fluff the jollof rice with a fork and top with the crisp kelewele. Scatter over a few thyme leaves to garnish

First published in 2019

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Lerato Umah-Shaylor

Lerato is one of the strongest voices in African cuisine, known for her vibrant and wholesome food that explores the multiplicity of the rich African continent.

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