Day Eighteen - Ghana

Maa jo! Welcome back to Africa, specifically the West African nation of Ghana.  Elizabeth and I have not had much luck so far with this continent (Egypt and Botswana being low points thus far on our month long trip), so I'm hoping that Ghana can help change our minds about the region and it's food.

The recipe today comes from one of the professors in our new School of Pharmacy at High Point University.  Comfort Boateng had mentioned it to several other professors, and when they heard about my blog this month, they recommended I reach out to her for it.  Comfort was happy to help, so many thanks to her for offering this peek into traditional African cuisine.

Tonight's meal is the foundation of a dish that I loved eating when I lived in New Orleans.  West African slaves brought with them many elements of culture and identity that can still be felt today. Their "jollof" became the creole staple "jambalaya." When I told Elizabeth this, it helped ease her mind about trying another African country this month.

Jollof Rice with Chicken

4 chicken thighs, chopped into halves

2 cups rice, uncooked

1 can tomato puree

1 onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic

4 teaspoons olive oil

2 green peppers, seeded and sliced

1 tablespoon thyme

1 teaspoon pepper

4 chicken bouillon cubes
4 cups water

In a blender, I first mixed the tomatoes, onions, pepper, and garlic until it formed a smooth mixture.  I added the bouillon cubes, thyme, and pepper to this.  Finally, I added the olive oil to the blended mix and set aside.

 

I seared the chicken halves until they were lightly browned, a few minutes each side.

Then, I brought 4 cups of water to boil, and then added the water, the blended mixture, and the chicken halves to the pot.  I let it cook for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

The result...

...was terrific!  This was perfect comfort food (fitting, as I got the recipe from someone actually named Comfort). Though it lacked the Creole and Cajun seasoning that I grew up with in traditional jambalaya, the jollof was still full of flavor.  The chicken was nice and juicy, and it paired perfectly with the rich rice and veggies.

This dish was heads and shoulders above anything we've tried from Africa this month.  I might try it with pork sausage the next time I make this recipe, or I might just leave it as is.  It was a very easy one-pot meal that will be in the rotation for years to come.