Jollof Rice-Stuffed Tomatoes and Mushrooms

If you haven't had jollof rice yet, you're missing out. It's a cornerstone of West African food. Each country that does make it a central aspect of their cuisine have particular methods of preparing the rice.  I’m not going to get into the nuances because I’m from Southern Africa and not really in a position to get into the specifics and get it exactly right! I will say though, that some people might say it my rendition is closer to the 'Ghanaian way', due to the spiciness and lack of bay leaf (common in some Nigerian recipes I've seen). I seasoned the tomato stew the rice cooks in to my liking, and the result is pretty delicious.

You can eat the jollop rice as it is, with beans, fish, plantains, or do what I did and stuff some juicy vegetables! Stuffing veggies with rice (and sometimes a protein) is nothing new. It’s usually an easy and delicious meal, and quick if you have precooked your rice.

This method is something fun to do year-round with whatever is in season.

I was going to get brave and try and stuff some grapes leaves and cabbage, but this kept it simple since tomatoes and mushrooms lend themselves well to stuffing/topping, are easy to find and relatively affordable.

Hope you find this as tasty as I did!

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 small habanero pepper, chopped

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

2 beef bouillon cubes

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon curry

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic and herb blend

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon coriander

3-4 large tomatoes

Fresh thyme

Garlic powder

Olive oil

3-4 portobello mushrooms

Instructions

Blend the onion and olive oil into a paste and set aside.

Clean out the blender and repeat this step with the pepper, tomatoes, and tomato paste.

In a large pot, melt the butter with the vegetable oil. Add the onion paste and garlic and cook on medium-low heat, stirring frequently for 5 minutes. Add the spices, salt, pepper, and bouillon cubes. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes or until the onion paste looks drier and the water content is reduced.

Add the tomato sauce and continue to simmer for about 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently.

Finally, add the rice and frozen peas. Top with water, cover with foil and a lid, and steam cook for 30 minutes until the rice is done. You can check from time to time to make sure the bottom isn’t burning. Note - the foil will help to keep all the flavours in!

Prepare your vegetables for stuffing. Hollow out the insides carefully with a knife, and drizzle with olive oil. Dust with garlic powder, salt, pepper, then top with fresh thyme.

In a 400F oven, bake your vegetables for about 25 minutes, until they have softened (but don’t overcook).

Remove your vegetables and let them cool for about 5 minutes, then using a teaspoon scoop the rice into the tomatoes and mushrooms. Serve hot!