West African Weddings
Women pounding rice, Courtesy of The New York Public Library
Yet another contribution to our series food and weddings. Historically, a week before the day of a wedding in many parts of rural West Africa, the bride’s family organizes a family meeting to solicit contribution for the wedding feast. Some contributed palm oil, rice, fish, and firewood. But the message is clear; the bride’s family had the charge of providing great food on the wedding day for their guest and especially the groom’s family. Here is a recipe for jollof rice which made all over West Africa.
Jollof Rice Recipe:
Ingredients
Oil for frying (palm or regular vegetable oil)
1 chicken
1 or 2 finely chopped onions
salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper according to taste
Flavoring:
chopped chili pepper
2 or 3 crushed cloves of garlic
bay leaf
curry powder
2 cups of chicken or beef stock or Maggi cubes or vegan substitutes
3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
bell pepper or sweet green pepper, chopped
green peas or string beans
(carrots/cabbage chopped)
four cups rice
4 tbsp can tomato paste
2 tbsp dried shrimp or crayfish or vegan substitute
Garnishes: fresh parsley and cilantro chopped and lettuce shredded
Method
Heat oil and brown chicken or fish. Remove the meat and add the onions, the salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic, bay leaf and curry in the oil. Fry for a moment and add vegetables. Fry the mixture until the onions become tender. Add the stock and the chicken and boil for about 20 minutes. Then add the dried shrimps/crayfish and the chili and bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Put the rice in a separate saucepan. Add water and tomato paste. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes until the rice is done (add warm water or broth if necessary). Adjust seasoning. Serve with garnishes according to taste.
