WATCH: Ghanaian chef makes goat meat and jollof rice

Welcome to 'Taste of Global', an eight-week culinary journey that brings global cuisine to the Jacaranda FM studio and your airwaves – brought to you by FNB Private.

Every week from 24 February, Monday to Thursday, 'Breakfast with Martin Bester' will explore the flavours, traditions, and stories behind the most iconic dishes from eight featured countries.

Taste of Global: Experience tastes from around the world

For our fourth stop around the world, the team visited Ghana, where chef Deborah Darkey from L&J Restaurant in Sunnyside, Pretoria, guided us on a delicious culinary journey to her homeland.

Darkey treated us to a delicious spread, featuring jollof rice with fried chicken and salad, yam chips with fried redfish, and fried goat meat.

Watch here:

The Ghanaian chef was also kind enough to share a recipe for the iconic jollof rice dish:

Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cooking time: 50-60 mins

Ingredients:

• 4 fresh tomatoes, blended (or 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes)

• 1 red bell pepper, blended

• 1 yellow bell pepper, blended

• 1 Scotch bonnet pepper (or ½ tsp chilli flakes, for heat)

• 3 tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 large onion, finely chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1-inch piece of ginger, grated

• 1 tsp dried thyme

• ½ tsp curry powder (optional) 

• 1 tbsp tomato paste

• 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)

• ½ tsp white pepper

• ½ tsp black pepper

• ½ tsp smoked paprika (optional, for a smoky flavour)

• 1 Maggi or Knorr chicken cube (optional but adds umami)

• 2 cups long-grain parboiled rice (or jasmine rice)

• 1 ½ cups chicken stock (or water)

• 2 bay leaves

• ½ cup mixed peppers (diced, for garnish)

• 500g protein of choice (chicken, beef, fish, or shrimp)

  Method:

• To prepare the base, blend the fresh tomatoes, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and Scotch bonnet into a smooth purée. Set aside.

• Heat vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until golden brown (about 5 minutes). Add garlic, ginger, thyme, and curry powder (if using). Stir for 30 seconds to release the aroma.

• Add tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes to reduce acidity. Pour in the blended tomato mixture and stir well. Season with salt, black pepper, white pepper, smoked paprika, and the chicken stock cube. Simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and darkens.

• Rinse the rice thoroughly and drain. Add the rice to the sauce and mix well to coat every grain. Pour in the chicken stock (or water) and add bay leaves. Stir once.
  

• Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce heat to low and let it cook for 25-30 minutes. Check occasionally and add a splash of water if needed.

• Stir in the mixed peppers for colour and crunch.
  

• Add cooked protein of choice (grilled chicken, beef, or shrimp).

• Remove the bay leaves. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve hot with a side of fried plantains, coleslaw, or salad.

Tune in to the 'Breakfast with Martin Bester', weekdays from 06:00 – 09:00. Stream the show live here or download our mobile app here.

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Image: Jacaranda FM