Sweet Potato Jollof Rice from Sierra Leone

Jollof Rice is something I have never tried before, but it sure was a hit with my friends and boyfriend! It is basically an African version of risotto almost. The simple flavours in this goes a long way, and one of my friends wanted the recipe!

As suggested by Red Cross, I used roasted dice of sweet potato instead of chicken - it was a treat! Also, the spice provided for this dish was ground crayfish, but they mentioned that this was used for a salty flavour, like salt, tamari and soy sauce is used, so I opted for a few tablespoons tamari instead!

Sweet Potato Jollof Rice from Sierra Leone
(Serves 4)

1 large/2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into dice
1 thinly sliced onion
1 tbsp fresh or dry thyme
2 tbsp tamari/soy sauce/salt to taste
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 veggie stock cube (1 heaped tbsp veggie stock powder)
360g long grain or basmati rice
1 red pepper, sliced lengthways
2 finely chopped garlic cloves
400ml can chopped tomatoes
Thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, grated
Handful fresh coriander to goarnish with (I totally forgot I had it in the fridge!)

- Pre-heat the oven to 190C, have the diced sweet potato in a bowl and drizzle with oil, salt and pepper. Place in the middle of the oven and roast for abut 20-25 minutes until tender.

- In the meantime, fry the onions in a large casserole for about 5 inutes until soft. Add the thyme, tomato puree, garlic, chopped tomatoes and ginger and fry for a further few minutes until heated through and bubbling. Turn down the heat.

- Add the stock, tamari/soy/salt and pour in 600ml boiling water. Add the rice and the sweet potatoes, cover with a lid and simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes until the rice is juuuust done.

- Scatter over with the red peppers and place the lid back on, cook for a further ten to achieve that lovely creamy texture.

- Before serving, stir a little to allow the peppers to run throughout the dish and serve topped with freshly chopped coriander.

Et voila!

I hope you have had a lovely start to your week! I am currently recovering from a superbug I must have caught over the weekend - boo! But I shall recuperate soon enough, and take on the world again once I have!


Original Source:
Red Cross Foodie Fest Team

- Jules