JOLLOF ARANCINI RECIPE

Jollof rice is a favourite West African dish and Arancini is a Sicilian favourite made with risotto. 'Jollof' is rice cooked in a rich, perfectly spiced tomato sauce. My inspiration came from a (personal favourite) holiday to Sicily. We arrived late for an afternoon lunch (Siesta)and the only place opened, served these huge Arancini balls. There were variations and  the one I picked had the famous 'Bronte Pistachios'stuffed inside.(Bronte town, is on the western part of Mt. Etna). 

Bronte pistachios are the best I've ever tasted. This is a perfect recipe for leftover Jollof rice , either with Mozarella or 'Wagashie' (the Ghanaian cheese). For the breadcrumbs ( you can also blend an old 'tea bread') for the Jollof Arancini. I'll incorporate pistachios in my next recipe. Click here for the Jollof recipe 

 

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Serves 4 (as a starter)

 This is a fusion of cultures. 

Jollof Arancini 

Ingredients 

400g of cooked Jollof rice 

200g of shredded Mozarella

50g of chopped spring onions (stalks only)

150g of Jollof sauce or roasted pepper sauce

4 leaves of Pineapple sage or 15g of lemon thyme. (Alternatively, use your preferred herb e.g Coriander, Parsley etc)

600ml of Sunflower oil

150g of Panko breadcrumbs

1 beaten egg

Method

In a bowl, add the Jollof rice, Mozarella, spring onions, your preferred herb and sauce. 

Mix everything together, till well combined

Roll a 100g of the mixture into a ball (as shown above)

Refrigerate for 30min to an hour. 

Remove the Jollof balls from the fridge. Place a saucepan on a medium heat. 

Add the Groundnut oil. 

Using two separate bowls, add the breadcrumbs and beaten egg. 

Dip a ball in the egg (making sure the whole ball is covered)

Then place the ball into the breadcrumbs and coat all surfaces  ( as shown below)

At this stage your oil should be ready . (Test the oil is hot by dropping a breadcrumb). If it sizzles, it's ready.

Place the ball on a ladle and gently drop into the hit oil (take all necessary precautions, to avoid any burns).

Fry till golden, which should take about 4 minutes. 

Remove from the oil to a blotted kitchen paper. 

Serve your Jollof Arancini with green salad or Avocado. A perfect starter for your next dinner party. 

Enjoy with a chilled beer or dey cider.

Watch how to make this on my YouTube channel, 'Ndudu by Fafa'. 

Don't forget to subscribe and share. 

All photos and recipe are by the owner of this blog. 

Check my YouTube page 'Ndudu by Fafa' for more recipes 

PERFECT JOLLOF RICE RECIPE

'Jollof rice', is a popular West African dish which originated from the Wolof tribe of SeneGambia. Over the years, Ghana and Nigeria have dominated in it's consumption , therefore sparking a healthy debate, to who makes it better (that in itself depicts the different methods of cooking Jollof rice).

Jollof rice, is a one pot dish, with a spiced tomato stew base, which the rice is cooked in (it's most likely to be served at West African's social gatherings or restaurants). 

During the famine years (between 1983-84) of Ghana, Jollof was a staple dish in my household, with Mum cooking it with spiced dried meat (biltong) or corned beef. 

Mums Jollof had this smoky, perfectly spiced taste which I loved scraping the saucepan with a spoon (much to her disapproval) for the flavoursome crunchy bits (Kanzo).

I prefer my Jollof, at most 10hrs after cooking, as I believe the flavours intensify then. However, one has to refrigerate the rice no more than an hour after cooking (to prevent food poisoning) and steam it till it's piping hot before consumption. Please refrain from re-heating the rice again and consume within 24hrs. 

 There are countless variations and flavours to this dish. One can change the Jollof's taste by the type of herbs and spices they incorporate, but one can't change the colour and call it Jollof. 

Jollof has always caused a stir, with purist holding unto the traditional methods of cooking and the distinctive dark orange colour. 

Check out my Buka Jollof (made from the ever popular Nigerian stew 'Buka'. 

http://ndudu-by-fafa.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/buka-jollof-with-lamb-kleftiko.html

The basic principle for any Jollof is to have a smoky taste ( which is achieved by the slight burning of the base) and it's deep rich orange colour, which is achieved by adding tomato purée and red peppers (optional). 

I love adding red peppers to my Jollof sauce as it lends it's sweetness to the dish.

Chorizo oil

The Jollof recipe here has a distinctive smoky taste and I used the oils extracted from Chorizo (after baking it) and smoky Paprika. 

Serves 6

Ingredients 

350g of washed and soaked Basmati rice for 15 minutes  (you can also use long grain rice, Jasmine rice or brown rice). 

150ml  of Chicken stock (your preferred stock).

Jollof Sauce

700g of fresh tomatoes 

175g of tomato purée 

2 large red peppers

2 large onions (1 sliced and the other chopped).

30g of ginger

1 clove of garlic

1 Habanero chilli

1 diced green chilli

4 tablespoons of groundnut oil / Coconut oil.

2 teaspoonful  of smoked Paprika. 

5 stalks of grains of selim 

15g of fresh thyme (try using Sage, Oregano, Rosemary etc)

Salt and pepper to taste. 

Method

Blend the Tomatoes,  Red peppers, chilli, Onion, 1 teaspoon of smoked Paprika, Garlic & Ginger together. 

Place a heavy bottomed saucepan on a medium heat. 

Add the oil and the sliced onion. Fry for 3  minutes (making sure you stir the mix).

Add 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika and fry for a minute.

Add the tomato purée and fry for 3 minutes 

Add the diced green chilli and fry for a minute

Add the spiced tomatoes mix and cook the sauce till it thickens to a paste. (This should take about 40-45minutes).

The reason for the slow cooking, is to intensify the natural flavours of the sauce.

Add the thyme leaves and stir. 

Wash the rice till the water is clear and soak it for about 15 minutes. 

Tip

The washing reduces the starch content of the rice. This helps in achieving the perfect, separated and fluffy rice. 

 The soaking cuts the cooking time in half and helps the rice to absorb the flavours of the sauce.

Add the washed rice to the sauce and stir fry for 5-7 minutes (making sure the rice has absorbed the sauce and it's well coated).

Add your preferred stock and stir. Once it starts to boil, lower the heat, cover with scrunched up baking paper, grease proof paper or foil  and finally cover with the lid. 

The whole point of this is to trap the steam in the saucepan and allow the rice to cook with little water. This will also intensify the flavour of the rice. 

Cook for 20-22 minutes, till fluffy and el dente ( I prefer my rice to have a little bite). This is optional and you can steam it till it's completely soft but not soggy.

Turn the heat off and leave the rice to continue cooking in it's steam for 7-8 minutes. 

Serve with your preferred meat, poultry or fish and salad or steamed vegetables. 

In this instance I paired my Jollof with grilled Tilapia.  Recipe coming up soon on my YouTube page, 'Ndudu by Fafa'.

Enjoy with chilled bottle of beer or a Pineapple & Ginger juice. 

All photos and recipes are by the owner of this blog. 

 Jollof rice 

Homemade Chicken stock

Making your own stock is the best way of using left over herbs and spices. 

I prefer to buy my free range, corn fed Chicken, whole. I find this option cost effective as every part of the Chicken is used up. 

After dissecting the Chicken, into breast and legs (making 2 large portioned meals for 2), I freeze the carcass till I have enough to make a 2 litre stock. 

The stock can be used for soups, sauces, jus, couscous, rice, quinoa etc. 

The herbs can be changed, depending on what's available to you. Try growing your own herbs and be adventurous with your choices. My unusual herb for this season is the 'Pineapple Sage',which accompanies most dishes. Subscribe to my blog and YouTube page 'Ndudu by Fafa', for recipe updates. 

From top right; Bay leaves, Tri colour Sage, Rosemary, Juniper berries, Cardamom, Grains of Selim and Pineapple Sage. 

Ingredients; 

4 leaves of Pineapple Sage

4 leaves of Tri colour Sage ( alternatively use normal Sage)

Any leftover Parsley or Coriander

20g of fresh Ginger

4 cloves of Garlic

2 medium sized Shallots (mine started sprouting, however it was still firm, however if it's too soft, just use the sprouts)

4 Grains of Selim

3 Green Cardamom pods

1 Red/Green Chilli

4 Juniper berries

3 litres of water

3 Chicken carcasses Or 1.5kg of Chicken wings

 Method;

Pour 3 litres of water to a saucepan

Add all the ingredients and place on a medium heat. 

Cook gently for 45 minutes and set aside

Strain the stock through a colander

Use in any recipe that requires stock and freeze the remainder for 2 weeks. 

Try the recipe,leave a comment on my blog, follow me on my Instagram page 'Ndudu_by_Fafa', tag your photo #Ndudu for a chance to be mentioned. 

You can find more recipes on my YouTube page 'Ndudu by Fafa'. 

All photos and recipes are by the owner of this blog. 

KELEWELE RECIPE WITH SAGE

'Kelewele' is a popular, street snack from Ghana, which is made from ripened Plantain mixed with spices and it's readily available in most street corners each evening. 

Interestingly, they're only available each evening till late and hardly during the day ( I stand corrected if that has changed recently).  Whenever next you're Ghana, why not enquire about it or better still make your own 'Kelewele' by following this simple recipe. 

Warning: 

You can be addicted to this crunchy & soft candy like texture , sweet & spicy snack. 

In this recipe I've  used my 'herbs' of the season 'Pineapple Sage' and 'Thyme', however be creative and try incorporating different flavours to this recipe. The herbs are optional (hence you can do without). Add any herb or spices that you prefer, Rosemary, Oregano, Marjoram etc or  spices like Cumin, Anjwan seeds, dill seeds etc..

Most ingredients are readily available in your local supermarkets or specialist Grocers  

Ingredients 

Herby Ginger mix

35g of fresh Ginger

1 small clove of garlic

1 large shallot or  medium size, white onion

1 Jalapeño Pepper or half a habanero chilli

2 Juniper berries (Optional)

4 Pineapple Sage leaves (Optional)

10g of fresh Thyme (Optional)

Place the above in a blender.

Add a little water if required (helps with blending) 

Blend till smooth and set aside.

Ingredients;

Half a teaspoon of red chilli powder 

Half a teaspoon of mixed spices (with a clove and pimento base) or (Ghana mixed spice.

Salt to taste

2 large ripened Plantain cut into cubes

600ml of Groundnut oil. 

Method;

Add the cubed Plantain to a bowl

Add the chilli powder and mixed spice

Add 2 tablespoonful of the Ginger mix

Salt to taste and mix till well combined. 

See below;

Pour the oil into a saucepan and place on a medium heat for 3 minutes

Add the spiced Plantain cubes and fry for about 7-8 minutes ( making sure you stir to allow an even cook)

Using a slotted spoon, remove the golden coloured Plantain nuggets 'Kelewele' into a colander, covered with kitchen blotting paper, to absorb any excess oil.

Serve with roasted Peanuts and savour each nugget with a glass of freshly blended Pineapple juice. 

Click on the link below and watch the full video on my YouTube page, Ndudu by Fafa. 

All photos and recipes are by the owner of this blog.

Combining Blogging and Vlogging

My apologies for the long absence since my last post. The exciting news (that occupied my time) is my new YouTube page 'Ndudu by Fafa'. 

Click on the link below , share, subscribe and comment. 

http://youtu.be/d5PhYEctFcs

OIL FREE OKRA SOUP

After a rather stressful day, I craved for a smoky, spicy and nutritious soup. The thought of a quick fresh Okra soup got my taste buds tingling. A quick dash to my local grocers and fishmonger helped with stocking on Okra, Seabream and smoked Cod.  Within few minutes of uploading images to my Instagram and Facebook page,  have I been asked for the recipe. Here you go, enjoy.

Ingredients;

500g of chopped fresh Okra

800ml of Chicken / Vegetable stock / water.

2 large finely diced red onions

30g of grated ginger

1 large habanero chilli

1 shrimp stock cube (optional)

1 clove of crushed garlic 

Smoked Cod or Smoked Tilapia, cut into chunks 

2 medium sized Sea bream, Red Snapper or Mackerel  (cut in half and grilled for 12 minutes ) 

400g of blanched chopped Spinach or Cocoyam leaves

1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda 

To blanch the Spinach /Cocoyam leaves (Kontomire)

Add water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add your washed Cocoyam leaves (Kontomire), stir till it's  fully  incorporated into the hot water. Cook for 4 minutes and strain using a colander.

Using Spinach

Once the water is boiled, turn the heat off, then add the Spinach. Stir the washed Spinach (using a wooden spoon) into the hot water for 30 seconds. Use a colander to strain off the hot water. 

Once you've followed the above instructions for cooking the Spinach or Cocoyam leaves (Kontomire) 

 run your respective choice  under very cold water, ( this stops the Cocoyam leaves (Kontomire) or Spinach from cooking further and to keep it's green colour). 

Method;

Place a saucepan on a medium heat.  Add the chicken stock and bring it to the boil.  (recipe for homemade Chicken stock is available on my blog). You can use any stock of your choosing or water.

Add the chopped onions , ginger and garlic and cook for 4 minutes 

Add the chopped Okra, stir and cook for 2 minutes 

Add the bicarbonate soda , stock cube, half a teaspoon of salt and mix well. 

Add your preferred fish and cook for  5 minutes 

Add your chopped blanched Spinach, stir and cook for 3 minutes. 

Turn the heat off and leave to rest or 3 minutes before serving. 

I enjoyed this on it's own, however try it with steamed rice , Banku (A Ghanaian steamed dumpling ball made from fermented corn and cassava), Akple ( made from milled sun dried corn) or Kenkey. 

You can substitute the fish for Poultry and meat.  

All photos and recipes are by the owner of this blog. 

Subscribe to my YouTube page 'Ndudu by Fafa' for more recipes