I’ve been meaning to try this Jollof Rice recipe for a long time now but only now getting around to actually doing it and with emancipation around the corner its the perfect time to get acquainted with some African cuisine. While doing research for the recipe I also came across Ayamase stew which is a popular Nigerian dish. Although the traditional recipe calls for specific spices and the addition of boiled eggs, I thought I would do my spin on it, also leaving out the eggs because i’m not a huge fan.
The traditional jollof rice recipe calls for red bell peppers but those are a bit hard to find locally and are typically a bit on the pricey side. So i’m using red pimentos instead. Other than that I’m trying to stick to as close to the traditional recipe as possible.
Jollof Rice
Ingredients
2 cups of rice, washed
5 tomatoes
6 red pimentos
1 red cayenne pepper or scotch bonnet pepper
2 purple onions
3 bay leaves
2 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp black pepper
2 tbsp dried thyme
2 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ginger powder
salt to taste
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 1/4 cups water
Method
Add tomatoes, pimentos, cayenne pepper and one purple onion to a food processor and blend until smooth paste is formed
In a bowl, combine onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, dried thyme, Â smoked paprika and ginger powder
Add oil to a pot on medium heat
Saute chopped onion for 3 minutes or until translucent
Add tomato paste and bay leaves, saute for 5 to 10 minutes making sure to stir intermittently
Add paste and two table spoons of seasoning blend as well as salt to the pot. Combine well then cover and allow to cook for 10 to 15 minutes
Add rice to the pot and stir to combine with other ingredients
Add water making sure that the rice is barely covered.
Reduce heat to lowest, cover and allow rice to cook.
Stir rice every 10 minutes
After 30 minutes, remove rice from fire and allow to continue steaming for 10 minutes
Serve and enjoy
Ayamase Styled Beef Stew
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs of beef chunks
1 green sweet pepper
1 scotch green scotch bonnet pepper or green cayenne pepper
1 bundle of celery, chopped
1 bundle of chives, chopped
3 medium sized onions
1 head of garlic
4 tbsp oil
1 tbsp clove powder
2 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp chili powder
Method
Combine clove powder, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, chili powder and salt to form a dry rub
Season beef with dry rub then set aside
To a pressure cooker and two tablespoons of oil then add beef and fry for 5 minutes
Add one chopped onion and whole garlic cloves to the pot then allow to cook for 3 minutes
Add 8 cups of water to the pot, cover and allow to cook in the pressure cooker for approx 1 hour and 20 minutes
Add sweet pepper, onion, scotch bonnet pepper, celery and half of the chives to a food processor then blend until smooth
Once beef is cooked, remove pieces from the remaining broth in the pot
Add two tablespoons of oil to a pan then saute sliced onion on medium heat
Add beef to the pot and saute for 3 minutes
Add seasoning puree to the pot and allow to cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated
Deglaze with remaining broth from pressure cooker and allow to cook until the sauce has reduced and thickened
Finish with fresh chives and thyme
Serve & Enjoy
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