Mercy’s Jallof Rice

Typical Ghanian Food stall selling Jallof

It’s always the simple things in life that make life worth living. In the case of most Ghanaians, one of these simple things comes in the form of Jallof rice, a classic accompliment to most meats and vegetables. Sold pretty much everywhere it’s a workingman’s food, using simple cheap ingredients to make the country’s staple, rice, more exciting. The red rice, which is sometimes specked with Green peppers and yellow maze, mirrors the colours of the Ghanain flag and patriotically stands as the National dish.  

My first taste of Jallof was a few years back at a Nigerian take away in Hackney. I liked it, but didn’t really make all too much of a fuss about it. The second time was at a Nigerian wedding, and in my ravenous state I chomped down two portions worth. When first coming to Ghana I was happily surprised to find Jallof on most menus… this is when my true love affair with Jallof started. I sampled jallof from different establishments, from stalls to fine restaurants, jallof with shrimp, with vegetables, with chilli peppers… I tried them all. When my farther’s housekeeper, Mercy, heard about my new obsession, she said to me, “Eh! Dipa, you eat too much jallof rice, you’re tummy will burst. If you are going to eat Jallof rice, you should do it properly, eat mine, and you will not eat another Jallof again.” Big statement, but I wasn't going stop her.

Mercy

She set about cooking, but was adamant I didn't watch her cook. I sat impatiently in the dinning room. First the smell of onions and garlic came wafting through the house, then the sound of sizzling fresh tomatoes. Soon after a distinct aroma of Rosemary then the sharp pungency of Shitto (a shrimp, soy, chilli and palm oil sauce used by Ghanains in cooking and for dipping). Then everything went quite for a bit. The smell became more complex as time went by. I knew I was in for a treat. As I drifted away with the aromas and thoughts of what was too come, I was suddenly snapped back into reality by a sharp burnt smell. I ran to the kitchen and Mercy turned around to me with a huge pot of red rice: “Here, my Jallof is ready.”

The tangy, shrimpy, tomato rice was delicious. The sides were a little burnt, but this brought out a really nice combined charred taste of the tomatoes, onions and startch. The jallof was dotted with peas and diced green peppers that gave the rice another sensory dimension. Most of the Jallofs I had had before were stodgy and slightly over cooked, but Mercy’s rice was light and fluffy. It was delicious, and distinctly different from my previous Jallof experiences.

Mercy's Jallof and Chicken

So now every time I go back to Accra, I ask for Mercy’s Jallof. She’s more then happy to make it and thankfully doesn't mess around with the recipe too much. Although, the underlying taste of the rice differs depending on the meat it is served with. In the case of the above picture, Jallof rice and Chicken, Mercy steams the chicken first before frying it, then in the same pan uses the juices and fat to cook the rice in. These flavours pass through the rice, which is almost like cooking the rice in stock. When cooking vegetarian Jallof, Mercy adds a branded flavour sachet when cooking of the tomatoes. Although I’m not allowed to look, I have been told the tomato “gravy” in which the rice is cooked is essential to giving the right Jallof flavour. This flavour can only be described as tangy, salty and a little bit charred.

I have tried to make Jallof back home, but there is something about African tomatoes. You just don't get toms like them back home. They have an intense earthy, truly tomato flavour unique to Africa. I think this is exactly the reason why when I first tried Jallof in the UK it didn't really sing to me the way Ghanaian Jallof sings to me of the flavours of the country. I must add though, Mercy’s warning about my tummy bursting is very much so true. Eating Jallof is bad for the waistline, not only is it made with copious amounts of palm oil, but it also tends to be laced with Ajinamoto. For that reason, I truly advise trying home made jallof, there is no better jallof then that made by the hands of a true Ghanaian Mammy.  

Philippino Chicken Adobo

Chicken Adobo with Bean Sprout Salad and Garlic Rice

Since my return to the UK I haven’t actually made any Philippino dishes. It’s not that I haven't thought about it, it’s just that there is massive pressure to impress and choosing the right dish is crucially important to make the right impression for Pinoy food. So after much debate I thought I’d try to make what is probably the most popular Philippino dish there is, Adobo. Now for those unfamiliar with Philippino gastronomy, I think this recipe is a good starting point at understanding the main flavours of the cuisine: salty, sour and sweet. This is the national dish, and for that reason I think it represents Philippines on a plate. Always cooked in soy sauce and vinegar, the other components of the dish can vary depending on the type of meat you are Adoboing: different regions have their own take on the dish and every family in the country has their own recipe which has been passed down over generations. So as you can imagine there are a fair few adobos to try.

The following recipe is my version. I have taken the best bits of the recipes I have tried and have adapted a few things according to my taste. For example, the Lutong Bahay (home cooked) style stalls I used to visit for lunch every day had what I consider to be the best Adobo I have had the pleasure of tasting. The dark, sour, sweet sauce was lip smackingly delicious, but, as like most meats in the Pines, it was a little over cooked and tough. Now this is cultural thing, and I have the same issue when I go to Ghana. Salmonella is a huge problem, and cooking chicken/eggs within an inch of their lives is a sure way of avoiding the bowel destroying bacteria. I have tried to recreate this taste as best as I can, whilst retaining the dignity of the meat so I tenderised my chicken using a simple Chinese technique of marinating meat in soy and corn flour overnight.  Normally, the chicken would be cooked on the bone, but my animal loving/slightly delusional friend for whom I’m cooking for tonight, refuses to eat meat on the bone. Belly pork is a good substitute for chicken in this dish and is probably more “Philippino” then using chicken. But again, my friend is on a diet… gosh, the lengths I go to, to please!

Along with the adobo, I’m serving very traditional garlic rice. Although my bean sprout salad isn’t very traditional, it provides a fresh accompliment to the salty sauce. As you may notice there is quite a lot of garlic in all three dishes. I found this to be a popular ingredient in Philippino food. Many a time did I have the lingering taste of garlic in my mouth after a meal, or noticed others did…

I think the best thing about this dish is the simplicity of cooking it. Like most recipes, a fair bit of preparation goes in before hand, but all in all, this dish took me 40mins to put together… although I must admit I’m pretty organised in the kitchen.

Adobo Chicken:

400g Chicken pieces off or on the bone

4 White parts of the Spring Onion, sliced into thin rings

5 tbsp of rice vinegar

1 tbsp Honey

6 Peppercorns

1 Bay Leaf

2 tbsp Canola oil

For the marinade:

2 tbsp Corn flour

5 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce

4 tsp Crushed Garlic

2 tsp Crushed Black pepper

2 tsp Crushed Ginger

Firstly marinade my chicken pieces over night. This ensures a strong flavour, but also means you don't have to add extra soy during cooking.

Heat up a large wok and added the canola oil. Quickly but lightly fried off the whites of the spring onion. Whilst the wok was still hot, add the marinated chicken pieces and pour a quarter cup of water into the wok to prevent burning, then turn the heat down. cover and let cook for about five minuets. Once the chicken is has cooked, add the vinegar and cook off thoroughly. Add the honey, pepper corns and the bay leaf. Mix, then half cover and leave for a further 10 minuets for the flavours to mingle.

Bean Sprout Salad

100g Bean sprouts

100g The Greens of Spring Onions, sliced vertically into thin strips

1 Sliced large Green Chillies

2 tbsp Sesame Seeds, toasted

1 tsp Crushed garlic

5 tbsp Rice Vinegar

1 tbsp Sugar

Blanch the sprouts for no more then 30 minuets. Drain, and run under cold water to prevent further cooking. Mix with the greens of the spring onions. In a small frying pan, add the vinegar, sugar, chillies and garlic. Heat until the sharpness of the vinegar had cooked off. Pour over the salad and sprinkle over the sesame seeds. Place in the fridge, and eat cold.

Garlic Rice

450g Cooked Rice

3 Gloves of Garlic thinly sliced

2 tbsp Canola Oil

Crushed Pepper to taste

Heat up the oil in a wok. Add the garlic till it turns golden brown. Stir in the rice, mix and season with pepper. 

Chicken Biryani & Crunchy Coconut and Corriander Raita

I've been missing my mum's cooking recently. I've eaten all her frozen dhal. No where near me does good enough Indian. So i decided after yet another dream about food to make biryani. I have attempted it before, but never properly with saffron rice. From the moment i got up that day, i couldn't stop thinking about this biryani. the whole day i was planning my masterpiece. I know what makes a good biryani for me personally. i was adamant to make the best biryani ever! so, a good biryani to me? Chicken in a medium dry sauce, mushrooms, cashew nut, loads of strips of ginger, garlic and chillies (strips are vital), saffron and cardamon rice, crispy onions and coriander to garnish. but most importantly spice. All the biryanis i've had as a child have always been immensely hot. i think it's a good way to introduce people to the indian way of 'hot hot... cool'. basically this is when you eat something spicy, then eat something else that's spicy but is in a milk product. example, spicy bombay mix, then drink some spicy chai. bombay mix is spicy, the tea you drink is spicy and your mouth gets really hot, but the milk cuts the heat almost immediately after and you get this tiny little sense of relief. so you do it again. so with the biryani, i decided to serve a coriander, coconut, and chilli raita.

Chicken marinade;
yogurt,
mixed with the paste of turmeric, chilli powder, grated ginger, crushed galic, tomato puree, chillies.
marinade for 2 hours

Saffron rice;
1/2 cup milk,
1/2 cup water,
saffron,
cardamon
i cooked this earlier on an let cool. this meant the rice wasn't too wet before going in the oven, so it'd properly crisp up.

Chicken curry:
Thinly sliced onion,
thin strips of garlic,
ginger
chilli
cumin powder
coriander powder
garam masala
cream
fry thinly sliced onions in butter and oil till nearly golden. Add the ginger, garlic and chilli and cook with onions till golden. add the cumin and coriander powder. Add the chicken and let cook. then add the garam masala, cook off then add one cup of water and let it simmer for 30 mins on a low heat. Stir in the cream.

i let the chicken sit for another hour till heating it up again then placing into a deep oven prof dish.i removed to cardamon pods from the rice and spread it on top of the chicken. i placed it in the oven for 20 mins at 200c.

whilst that was in the oven i made my raita.
Yogurt,
small dices of cucumber
small dices of shallots,
finely chopped chilli
finely chopped coriander,
grated coconut
the cucumber, shallots and the coconut give it a crunch, the chilli and shallot give it some heat, and the cucumber, yogurt and coriander cool it down. Perfect combination with a spicy biryani : )

i fried some thinly sliced shallots and some coriander(carful cause it really spits)and let dry on some kitchen towel, then sprinkled over the biryani.

i fried some poppadoms and had some cold cobras in the fridge. i plated up and was ready to take a pic for the blog... but my camera ran out of battery. Used a house mate's phone to take a pic... but cause i was so hungry and the food looked so good. so i apologise cause the photo is pretty bad. But i really recommend trying it.