Is there such a thing as the definitive Jollof Rice?
By A. Kadumukasa Kironde II More by this Author  My earliest recollection of West African food was during the early 60s when my father was Ugandas Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York City. Admittedly being in my late teens, I was but a mere tenderfoot in culinary matters. Nevertheless, owing to my father having married Althea Hawkins, born of Trinidadian and Tobago parents, whose father Chef Henry Hawkins was an unrivalled chef of great renown, the man became my greatest hero. It is to Chef Hawkins that I owe my love and admiration for cooking but getting back to Jollof rice. It so happens that dads Ghanaian counterpart at the United Nations was the rather suave, erudite and debonair gentleman by the name of Alex Quaison-Sackey, who sadly passed on at the relatively young age of 68 back in 1992. His wife Elsie was a great pal of my stepmother Althea and my first taste of Jollof rice was compliments of Elsie who passed on in 2003. As Elsie was oft keen to remind Americans who were new to Ghanaian cuisine, Jollof is a fiery and piquant seasoned rice dish that is a mlange of rice, tomatoes, and spices. In Ghana and West Africa, it is usually eaten as a main dish and is also a staple at parties and family gatherings. At the base of any Jollof, is stewed rice with tomatoes, onions, vegetable oil, habanero (or scotch bonnet) pepper, tomato puree, stock cubes, thyme, curry powder, ginger, and garlic. Spices, ingredients, and cooking methods slightly vary between households, but the basic elements of rice, tomatoes, and onions remain constant. Advertisement  However, there is a lot more to Jollof than its ingredients. The cooking process is not only intricate but to any novice, arcane, to say the least. The order in which you add the ingredients matters, actually it is not farfetched to draw a parallel to the craft of making Ugandan pilao. Jollof is robust and hearty with a mellow texture and blend of spices that gives it a savory taste with an unmistakable and unique hearty pungency. If one is making meat Jollof, then the first order of business would be seasoning the meat with the meat stock determining the eventual flavor and taste of the rice. While cooking methods vary between Nigerian and Ghanaian Jollof rice, in the old days the main difference between the two would be the type of rice that was used. Nigerians had a preference for long grain while the Ghanaians preferred Basmati. Suffice it to say that nowadays Basmati is the universal choice. The rising popularity of rice (introduced into the region from Asia but now grown locally) led to the spread and adaptation of the recipe. As new cultural enclaves emerged across the West African region, so did different Jollof interpretations, with renditions that have evolved into their own being, in a manner of speaking. Cooking is evolutionary and by no means static. I have read about Jollof rice with coconut milk which does not make it any less good than otherwise. Yes, even Irish potatoes cooked in Jollof rice is acceptable. What is not omissible in any rendition of Jollof is rice, stock, onions, garlic, ginger and tomatoes galore and above all the irrepressible and wondrous Scotch bonnet chilies. Today, every West African country has some variation of the dish. The similarity between the Nigerian and Ghanaian recipes is a symptom of the fluidity or the porous nature of West African borders and overlapping cultures that can be traced back to the same origins. Jollof rice  Jollof rice is a typically West African one- dish entre that uses meat and is somehow akin to our Pilao. Again, as is the case with Pilao, one can feel free to omit the meat and simply use vegetables whereupon it becomes vegetable rice Jollof. Ingredients  Serves 8  4 breasts of chicken cubed   kg of boneless pork, cubed  3 to 4 large chopped onions  10 to 12 chopped tomatoes  6 to 10 Scotch Bonnet chilies  1 cabbage cut into wedges  1 kg basmati rice  2 liters chicken/beef stock  Salt and pepper to taste  4 tbsp. tomato paste or more  2 bay leaves  Vegetable oil  4 cloves chopped garlic  2 tsp chopped ginger  Method  Saut the chicken breast in some vegetable oil until it has nicely browned. Remove and do likewise the pork while it is sauting you can brown the onions, garlic and ginger and set them aside until they are ready. In a saucepan that is large enough to hold the meat and the rice. Add the pork and the onions, garlic and ginger. Over low heat continue cooking them and add the tomatoes, the tomato paste, chilies and the bay leaves. Cook for about five minutes and then add the chicken stock and reduce and simmer covered until the pork is done. Add salt and pepper. Since the breast of chicken does not take much time to cook it will go in with the rice. When the pork is just about ready add the rice, cabbage and the chicken breast, taste and correct seasoning and simmer covered until the rice is done and flakes with a fork and let stand for a few minutes before serving.