It’s always dangerous to tinker with a traditional recipe, and this one is by no means traditional — but it’s exactly what I like. The base is a rich, jammy Obe Ata that gets reduced right down before the rice goes in, and the rice itself is lifted with chipotle, garam masala, my chilli paste and GGT paste. Serve it with chicken, plantain, or anything you fancy.
Jollof Rice
My non-traditional take on Jollof Rice, built on a rich, jammy Obe Ata base and finished with warming spices, chilli and GGT paste. It’s what I like — traditionalists look away!
Ingredients
For the Obe Ata (base)
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 pointy pepper
- 1 banana shallot or half an onion
- 2 tbsp double tomato concentrate
For the rice
- 1/4 tsp chipotle flakes
- 1/4 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tbsp chilli paste
- 2 tbsp GGT paste (garlic, ginger, turmeric)
- 2 cups Thai rice
- 550 ml hot stock
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients for the Obe Ata in a blender and blitz until smooth.
- In a large cast iron shallow casserole pan, heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add all the rice spices and fry for about 2 minutes.
- Add the blended Obe Ata and reduce for 15–20 minutes, until it’s really jammy and not watery at all.
- Add the rice and stir for about 5 minutes.
- Add the stock, cover the surface with parchment paper, then put the lid on to cover tightly. Cook on low (3–4 out of 10) for 22 minutes — no peeking allowed!
- Leave to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Serve with chicken, plantain, or anything you fancy. It’s delicious topped with some chimichurri or fried onions.
