Tag: rice recipes

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One-pot oven Jollof rice

This recipe of One-pot Baked Chicken and Jollof Rice start on the stove and finishes cooking in the oven. This One-pot Baked Chicken and Jollof Rice is also a combination of west African and Indians of terrific aromatic, spices and flavors. The little thing that makes all the difference in this recipe is the fried anise, allspice pepper, bay leaf, cinnamon and cloves before adding the rice and well-seasoned chicken. This recipe of One-pot Baked Chicken and Jollof Rice is outrageously delicious!

One-pot Baked Chicken and Jollof Rice Secret: “fried anise, allspice pepper, bay leaf, cinnamon and cloves”

One-pot oven Jollof rice
One-pot oven Jollof rice

This One-pot Baked Chicken and Jollof Rice starts on the stove because frying the anise, allspice pepper, bay leaf, cinnamon and cloves ensure the best flavors possible in the most effective way. If your oil begins to smoke, it is too hot and should be either removed from the heat source or the heat source should be turned down. Once they become aromatic, add the onion and cook until the onion is softened. Then, continue to add your other ingredients as desired. When frying spices, it is extremely important to pay close attention to them. Even if a single spice burns, the whole batch will be tainted with that bitter, burned flavor. Stir the spices frequently and mind the heat.

How to perfectly season the baked chicken?

For this recipe of One-pot Baked Chicken and Jollof Rice, I use a whole chicken, but other part of the chicken can be used (like the thigh, leg or wing). You can never go wrong with my combination of spices (1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon curry, 1 teaspoon bouillon cube, Salt and pepper) because you get maximum depth of flavor for minimum number of spices. Plus, I always have these spices on hand.

How did I partially cook it on the stove?

By partially cooking the One-pot Baked Chicken and Jollof Rice on the stove to first bring out the maximum flavor out of the spices and also allows me to bring the liquid to a boil before putting it in the oven. The flavor is so much better because of the fried onion.

One-pot oven Jollof rice
One-pot oven Jollof rice

Why add the chicken over the rice?

I added the perfectly seasoned chicken over the rice because the dripping of the chicken add so much more flavor to the rice. The result is a mouthwatering baked chicken coated in a beautiful rub, baked on top of fluffy soft rice. Oven Baked Chicken and Rice all cooked together in one dish is possibly one of the MOST loved family favorite dinners on the planet. I know in my heart of hearts this will become your new favorite.

How to make One-pot Baked Chicken and Jollof Rice

Ingredients

For chicken

  • 1 Chicken
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon curry
  • 1 teaspoon bouillon cube
  • Salt and pepper

For Rice

  • 1 anise 
  • 2 allspice pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cinnamon 
  • 2 cloves
  • 4 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoon tomato paste
  • Scotch bonnet chilli to taste (optional)
  • Vegetables: 1 eggplant, 1 zucchini, 1 Summer squash, 2 carrots 
  • 1 teaspoon bouillon cube
  • Salt and pepper
  • 400 g (14oz) rice
  • 925 ml (3.9 cups) warm water*

Instructions

Preheat oven to fan assisted 180C / 350F / gas 4.

Season the chicken with teaspoon paprika, turmeric, garlic, ginger, curry, bouillon cube, Salt and pepper and set aside.

Heat a frying pan with the oil over medium heat and add the anise, allspice pepper, bay leaf, cinnamon and cloves. Cook for a minute

Add and fry the onion for about 7 mins until soft.

Stir in the tomato purred and the tomato paste, cook for 5 minutes.

Add the water, vegetables (1 eggplant, 1 zucchini, 1 Summer squash, 2 carrots) and bring to a boil.

Mixing in the rice and mix until well.

Add a layer of aluminum foil and make small incisions. Add the chicken and cover (Make sure the cover is over safe) 

Transfer the Jollof rice mixture into the oven for about 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven stir and put back in the oven without the lid for 15-20 minutes or until the rice is soft and done.

When done take the rice out of the oven, fluff it and serve.

Serve hot

Tips to make perfect oven baked chicken and rice

  • For this recipe I recommend long jasmine rice. Basmati rice or Jasmine rice can be substituted with the same liquid ratio and cooking time. Please do not use short grain rice, medium grain rice, risotto, paella or minute rice.
  • If the rice cooks before the chicken, remove the rice from the oven, and transfer the chicken in an oven safe dish and put the chicken back in the oven.
  • For a better color on the chicken, it can be broiled for an extra 2-3 minutes just to get your chicken golden and browned with crisp edges, and an amazing buttery, crunchy crust on the top of your rice!
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Haitian pork griot recipe

For this recipe of pork griot and Jollof rice, I combined my West African culture and Haitian experience. Pork griot is one of Haiti’s favorite’s dishes. To make the griot, big and fatty chunks of pork shoulder are marinated with limes juice, garlic, ginger, fresh thyme, onion, bouillon powder and salt, then boiled and finally fried until golden and crisp. Traditionally, the pork griot is served with Pikliz, which is a mixture of cabbage, carrot and chili pepper pickled. The acidity of Pikliz balances out the richness of the griot, but for this recipe I chose to serve it with some Jollof rice.

This is the image of Haitian pork griot
Haitian pork griot

How to make the a tasty a crispy pork griot ?

Do you know that Pork is the world’s most popular type of meat? Yes, it is. Though not exactly a health food, moderate consumption of properly prepared pork can be an acceptable part of a healthy diet. For the griot, I love to season the pork overnight to guarantee a tasty and tangy taste. Once the pork has being marinated overnight, it is browned, the chunk of pork should be separated from the broth and cooled. Lastly, the marinated – browned – cooled pork is fried in hot oil to obtain the griot.

What is Jollof rice for the griot?

The jollof is a pot of rice loaded with tomatoes, tomato paste, onions, scotch bonnet peppers, salt, spices and vegetable oil and more flavor than you’ll know what to do with. Furthermore, vegetables, meat or meats and different types of local spices can be added to personalize it. The secret to a good jollof rice is the flavor build in the tomato broth and oil coupled with the perfect ratio of rice. As far as I can remember, jollof rice is served at every west African party.  The jollof rice originated from Senegal and is a popular dish served in Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Senegal, Togo, and Sierra Leone. The recipe varies lightly from one country to the next. The two main version are Ghanaian Jollof Vs Nigerian Jollof.

Ingredients for Griot

  • 1.5 kg pork (shoulder Cut in bite size)
  • 1-3 limes (juice) about 2 Tablespoons
  • 5 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoon ginger
  • 3 teaspoon fresh thyme
  • 1 medium onion sliced
  • 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder
  • 2 Teaspoons salt or more

How to make the Haitian pork griot?

Marinate the pork with lime juice, salt, chicken bouillon, garlic, ginger, onions, thyme, scotch bonnet pepper (optional).

Let it rest in the fridge for about 2 hours or preferably overnight.

In a saucepan on medium heat, bring to a boil and simmer until tender for about an hour or more.

When pork is tender remove from liquid and any bits of spices, herbs of the pork. Set aside pork.

Fry the pork at 350F (180C) until the pork is crispy.

Using a sieve drain pork liquid, reserve the liquid and discard the rest of the herbs and spices. (I use ice to cool down the mixture and remove the excess oil)

Place pork liquid in a small saucepan on medium add 1 teaspoon tomato paste, 1 cup tomato,  1/4 cup oil, sliced onion and bring to a boil. 

Add the rice (2 cups water for 1 cups jasmine rice). Salt to taste. Add the cut vegetables (carrots and bell pepper).

Stir in rice and boil over medium-high heat until the water evaporates

Be sure the lid fits tightly on the pot. Turn down the heat to its lowest setting. Let the rice simmer for about 18 minutes, then remove from heat and allow the rice to steam in the pot for another 5 minutes.

This is the image of Haitian pork griot with Jollof
Haitian pork griot with jollof

Serve the rice with the griot.

Notes:

  • Cleaning the pork with vinegar or lemon juice is a test to see if the meat is still good. If the pork smells “off” even after its vinegar or lemon juice bath, chances are it’s not okay to cook.
  • The vinegar or lemon juice tenderizes the pork, cuts down on cooking time, and lets you store pork for a little longer in the fridge if you end up not cooking it the day you prep it.
  • The FDA currently does recommend against rinsing meat, however, in the African/Caribbean, there’s a common practice of rinsing off the meat and fish with a mild acid like lemon or lime juice or vinegar prior to cooking.
  • Before everyone owned a refrigerator, cooks would apply an acidic solution because they believed it killed any bacteria on the bird and to impart a little extra flavor. Currently, many folks use this same technique to get rid of any odors and add flavor to the meat.
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Pork Fried rice

Pork Fried rice

  • 4 eggs
  • 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 4 cups cold cooked rice
  • 1/2 cups onion and bell pepper chopped 
  • 1 cup frozen vegetable
  • 1 lb pork belly
  • 5 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon ginger
  • 1 cube

Boil the pork belly with the garlic, ginger and cube for 30 mins. Fry carefully and set aside.

Beat the eggs with 1/2 tsp. sesame oil. Heat up a non-stick frying pan and add 1 tablespoon. of oil. Pour in the eggs and swirl around to coat the bottom of the pan. When set, flip over onto a chopping board and cut into small pieces.

Heat up a wok and add 2 tablespoon of oil. Add the chopped onion and bell pepper and fry for 3 minutes. 

Add the rice, and frozen vegetable and soy sauce. Fry on high heat for about 5 minutes or until the rice is hot and fragrant.

Add the eggs and fried porc. Stir for a minute then turn the heat off. This is now ready to serve.

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Waakye

Waakye

2 cup Black eyed Beans

2-4 dried millet stalk leaves

4 cup Jasmine rice

3 tablespoon oil

Salt to taste

Remove unwanted particles and wash beans and soak beans overnight to reduce the cooking time.

Boil beans in a large saucepan with enough water and the leaves.

Wash rice, drain water and add it to the cooked bean and oil. (follow the instruction for the manufacturer for the Yasmine rice)

Add salt and stir, leave to cook whiles frequently checking to ensure desired texture.

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No cornstarch Rice cakes (Ablo)

Le Ablo is a Togolese (Abolo Beninese) steamed rice and corn flour dish. The traditional method takes time, although most of it involves inactive waiting periods. The process spans three to four days from the first rice soaking to taking the finished product out of the steamer. In the original recipe the mixture of rice four is steamed in a banana leave or an aluminum mold lined with plastics.

No cornstarch Rice cakes (Ablo)
No cornstarch Rice cakes (Ablo)

I use real cute silicone molds. Properly prepared, the Ablo imparts the slightly yeasty aroma of fermented rice batter. It should be neither sticky nor dry and crumbly. The Ablo should be soft, moist, and with a fine, uniform grain. The essential flavor should be of freshly cooked rice, but it may be sweetened a bit. A lot of people requested the recipe of Ablo without cornstarch, So here it is:

Ingredients

  • 2 cup rice 
  • 4~6 tablespoons granulated sugar (or more according to your taste)
  • 1 tablespoons baking powder
  • 1 tablespoons yeast
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

How to make No cornstarch Rice cakes (Ablo)?

Soak the rice overnight

The next day, drain the water and blend the rice with  1 cup water.

Boil 1 cup of water and 1/3 of the blended mixture and cook for 3 mins

Mix the cooked mixture, the remaining  blended rice, sugar, yeast (and water if needed). Place in a warm place for 30 mins.

While the mixture is rising, prepare your molds. 

Add baking powder and salt. Whisk the batter until just smooth. 

Fill the mold to the 3/4. Let the mixture rise in the mold for 30 min.

Bring a steamer with water to running boil.

Working in batches and place the mold in the steamer. Steam for 25 minutes, or until the Ablo have risen and are firm to the touch.

Remove from the molds and enjoy warm or at room temperature. Serve warm with mgbagba, jus de tomate, piment…

Tips on how to make fluffy Ablo:

  • It is not recommended to use rice flour for this recipe as it will yield a slightly sticky cake with tint of yellow instead of snow-white rice cake.
  • Make sure the rice-sugar mixture is cool completely before adding the dissolved yeast.
  • You will need a steamer for this recipe. Make sure your steamer is ¾ filled with water. Let the steamer boils on high heat for at least 10 minutes before steaming the cakes.
  • If your yeast isn’t frothy or bubbly after 10 minutes, it’s probably expired. The active dry yeast is the key ingredient in this recipe.
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Liver Fried Rice

My family loves my amazing Liver fried rice. -Not just because the love me- It is easy to make and taste like a million box. This particular recipe is inspired by the Nigerian fired rice and I also served it with some African style fried chicken. This Liver fried rice Recipe is so easy and packed with flavor and totally adaptable. Cooked Liver can be tender, almost creamy if cooked, or tough, dry when overcooked. The liver pairs awesomely with the rice, mix vegetable and African fried chicken.

Liver Fried Rice

Why did I choose liver?

Liver is:

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  • low in calories
  • low in fat
  • packed with nutrients, including riboflavin, copper, vitamins A and B12 and B6, thiamin, protein and iron
  • really delicious if prepared correctly

What ingredients can you add to your fried rice?

  • Vegetables: I personally use mix frozen veggie like carrots, onions, peas and fresh onion because it adds a sweetness to the fried rice. You can use your favorite vegetable like cauliflower, broccoli…
  • Chopped fruit: pineapple, orange, pears, apples or guava… It’s a cool way to make your fried rice sweeter while staying healthy.
  • Soy Sauce: It adds a beautiful color to the rice, however, I used cube bouillon instead. About 2 teaspoons of soy sauce should change the color to a beautiful brown.
  • Eggs: Eggs are a very good source of inexpensive, high quality protein. The beaten egg should be carefully fried in a medium-hot oil and later folded in the rice. For this recipe, I skipped the eggs, but this is another recipe of Liver friend rice.
  • Other proteins: You can easily switch things around and use whatever leftover you have in the fridge. Although for this recipe I used fried liver, you can use precooked chicken, pork, beef or shrimp. You can also swap the rice with quinoa.
Liver Fried Rice
Liver Fried Rice

Ingredients

  • 2 cups rice (long-grain white rice like Jasmine is perfect for fried rice. The Jasmine rice should be cook with a reduced amount of water (or stock). The Jasmine rice should be firm and not soggy. You can use cold cooked, previously chilled, or leftover cooked rice. )
  • 2 cups chopped mixed vegetables: bell pepper, spring onion, carrots, sweet corn, peas and green beans.
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 Onions, chopped
  • 2 clove
  • 2 allspice whole
  • 6 cloves of garlic
  • 2 tablespoon ginger
  • 2 cube 
  • Salt to taste
  • 10 pieces chicken
  • 300 g Sliced beef liver
  • Canola oil for frying

How to make Liver Fried Rice?

Blend 1/2 onion, cloves, allspice, garlic and ginger.

Rinse chicken, add 1/2 seasonings, cube and salt. 

Cut the liver in cube, add 1/2 seasonings, cube and salt

Cover both and refrigerate overnight or at least for 4 hours.

Add about 1/2 liter to the chicken and boil for 30 min.

Add about 1/4 liter to the liver and boil for 15 min.

Fry the chicken for 7-10 minutes till center is all cooked (outside will be dark, golden brown)

Lay paper towel on a plate to drain excess oil, transfer fried chicken to plate

Prepare the rice by rinsing in cold water until the water drains clear. 

Add 1.5 cups of water to the chicken stock and bring to a boil.

Add the rice and cook on a medium heat until fluffy. Once the rice is cooked, fluff with a fork and lift the lid to cool down the rice. – spread it on a baking sheet and refrigerated for about an hour until it completely cooled (you can also freeze it for 15 to 20 mins).

Heat a large wok with 2 tablespoon of oil. Fry the chopped liver first until slightly brown then add the remaining onions. 

After ~5 mins, add the rest of the vegetables and continue to fry the mix until it’s slightly brown but not burnt.

Create a hole in the wok by pushing aside the mix so you can add the cooked rice . Turn up the heat and mix together to create that perfect fried rice dish.

Serve with the chicken

Tips to make the best Liver fried rice.

  • To get the best “fried’ rice use clod rice because a fresh batch of rice tend to get soggy and stick to the bottom of the pan. For this recipe, I freshly made the rice, spread it on a baking sheet and refrigerated for about an hour until it completely cooled (you can also freeze it for 15 to 20 mins).
  • Always add vegetables to your fried rice. Fresh vegetable taste better but I use the frozen mix vegetable – it does the job. The vegetables add a beautiful color and a sweet taste to the fried rice.
  • The number 1 secret to a fried rice is high heat. The heat makes the rice and the vegetable crisp.