Differences Between Nigerian Jollof Rice and Ghanaian Jollof rice (Must Read)

The Jollof Rice Controversy

The controversy between the Nigerian Jollof Rice and the Ghanaian Jollof Rice first, lets say a little about the ORIGIN OF JOLLOF RICE

Jollof rice is a dish made with rice, tomatoes, tomato paste, onions, scotch bonnet peppers, salt, spices and vegetable oil. Whatever variations are available, these ingredients are a must in the dish. The long grain rice we use to cook this dish is not even indigenous to us. It is imported into our shores from Asia. This already tells you this dish came from somewhere else.

Now lets check out the difference in the ingredients

  NIGERIAN INGREDIENT              VS                GHANAIAN RECIPE

• 

  The Nigerian Jollof Rice

  

  The Ghanaian Jollof Rice

 The Ghanaian Recipe

• 3 – 4 cups or 600g basmati rice
• 5 to10 fl.oz olive oil (you may use another type of oil if you choose)
• 2 heaped tbsp tomato puree
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 medium sized onions
• 2 canned plum tomatoes (or Passata)
• 2 fat cloves of garlic
• A small piece of ginger
• 4 scotch bonnet chilies (reduce if you don’t like it spicy)
• 1 stock cube (either vegetarian or otherwise)
• 1 Maggie cube (optional)
• Dried mixed herbs
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt to taste
•  Method
• 1. Blend the ginger, garlic, chilies, canned tomatoes and two onions and set aside for later.
  2. Heat oil in a non-stick pan and fry the chopped onions till soft and golden brown then add the tomato puree and cook for a further 3-4 minutes.
  3. Add the blended tomato and onion mixture from earlier and leave to cook through till the tomato mixture has lost its raw taste and the oil is visible at the top.
  4. Add the stock and Maggie cubes, bay leaf and a sprinkle of the mixed herbs.
  5. Leave to simmer for about 3 minutes while you rinse the rice to remove excess starch.
  6. When rice is rinsed, add to the sauce stirring it to make sure nothing is sticks to the bottom.
  7. Now add 2 cups of water to the rice and sauce mix and stir, add salt to taste and cook till the water is almost evaporated.
  8. Now, cover and simmer on a low heat till rice is fully cooked.
  9. Serve with fried plantain and a crisp green leaf salad on the side.
• The Nigerian Ingredients
• • 3  cups | 750g long grain parboiled rice.
  • Tomato Stew 500 mls. (Tin tomatoes)
  • Chicken (whole chicken, drumsticks or chicken breast)
  • Pepper and salt (to taste)
  • 2 medium onions.
  • 3 Knorr cubes.
  • 2 teaspoons thyme.
  • Bay leafs
  • 2 teaspoons curry powder (Nigerian curry powder)

Method

• Pour the chicken stock and the tomato stew into a size-able pot and leave to boil
• With a low heat pour vegetable in a sizable pot leave to heat
• Add onion 
• Add the tomato stew  and leave to boil.
• Curry powder and  salt and pepper to taste.
• Add the washed drained rice
• The water level should be the same level of the rice. 
• Cover the pot and leave to cook on low to medium heat.
• serve and garnish with green peas. 

We have some ingredient difference 

The Ghanaian 

Make use of the “basmati”

Dried mixed herbs

Fat cloves of garlic

Ghanaian also love spicy food

The more peppery, the better it tasted.

The Nigerian 

prefer the long grain rice

Nigerian prefer it Non-peppery  

Serves with green peas