A Ghanaian Recipe

My friend Sara asked whether I could post a Ghanaian recipe. First of all, there is no such thing as convenience food in Ghana. Africans simply have much more patience than Americans in every area of their lives, and that extends to the kitchen.

Ghanaians tend to use fewer and simpler ingredients than do Americans in their cooking, but they mash their ingredients by hand to release the flavors, and simmer their stews carefully so those flavors can meld. As a result, Ghanaian dishes are usually more savory than American meals. (Oh, by the way, have I mentioned that I’m gaining weight? ;) )

Recently a friend let me take notes as she prepared a traditional Ghanaian meal. She didn’t count or measure, but patiently let me count and estimate at each step. The onga and maggi packets are simply seasoning packets that are used here: they remind me of the ramen seasoning packets available in the States. And she said that Americans can blend instead of mashing if desired, even though the results won’t be quite as good. So without further ado, here is a recipe for:

Jollof Rice (serves 16)

19 small tomatoes, washed and chunked
3 onions, peeled and chunked
3 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed, and chopped (optional)
½ small ginger root, scraped and chunked (optional)
14 small dried hot peppers, washed and stemmed
1½ - 2 cups oil
2½ pounds beef, chopped
½ teaspoon all-purpose seasoning powder
Salt to taste
2 medium cans (210 grams each) tomato paste
3 green peppers, washed and cut into small pieces
1 can tuna
1 packet onga stew seasoning
1 packet shrimp maggi
¼ head cabbage, shredded
2½ cups dry rice

Blend tomatoes with water until very smooth; set aside.

Blend onions with water, adding garlic and ginger if desired. Blend a small amount of this mixture with hot peppers; set aside.

Put half of remaining onion/garlic/ginger mixture into large saucepan with 1-1½ cups oil. Simmer on medium heat.

Place beef, all-purpose seasoning powder, remaining onion/garlic/ginger mixture, and 1 tablespoon salt in frying pan; cover until cooked, stirring occasionally.

Add hot pepper mixture to onion/garlic/ginger/oil mixture. Then add blended tomatoes and tomato paste to hot pepper mixture.

Remove beef from frying pan; pour drippings into stew, stirring stew occasionally. Fry beef in ½ cup oil until brown.

Add tuna, onga, and maggi to stew. Add green pepper and meat to stew. Add cabbage to stew. Finally, add rice to stew, adding water and salt as needed, stirring occasionally until rice is soft and has absorbed most of the liquid.

Other optional ingredients that we didn’t have include spring onions, green beans, and carrots. And just as a warning, the 14 hot peppers made the dish VERY peppery! ;)