Rice and stew
Rice and Stew is the ultimate Cameroonian comfort food, also commonly eaten in Nigeria and Ghana. Even though it’s stripped back, the luxurious, rich & tangy flavour will have you going for seconds. This dish is traditionally served either on its own like this recipe suggests or with fish / chicken.
Generally, this stew is served with rice (hence the name), but you can serve it up with pretty much anything: boiled plantain or yams, flatbread, pasta - you name it!
Rice & stew is often offered up for special occasions, from birthdays to Christmas, to weddings, but is also a much loved daily lunch or dinner. I LOVE this dish because my mum would cook it almost every other week for us as kids and around our birthdays or for a big family BBQ. It fills me with such warm memories of home and family - the cherry on top when it comes to comfort food, don’t you think?
Tips and Notes:
• You may replace canned tomatoes with fresh tomatoes but make sure you fry the sauce until it has completely dried before adding liquid. You might have to add more oil and watch out for burns.
• Add in some tasty vegetables or legumes to add extra flavour and colour. My favourite to add is chickpeas.
Rice and Stew
Vegan | gluten-free
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
Rice
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 2 cups, or 475 ml of boiling hot water
• Pinch of salt
Stew
Stage 1
• 1 large red pepper
• 1/2 thumb of fresh ginger
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp veg stock powder/half a veg stock cube
• 1/2 tsp salt
Stage 2
• 5 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large white onion – finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves – finely chopped
Stage 3
• 1 tbsp thyme
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp all-purpose seasoning
• 1 maggie cube (optional)
Stage 4
• 2 tsp tomato puree
• 100ml warm water
Method
1. Blend stage 1 and set to one side
2. Rinse the rice thoroughly in cold water until the water is clear and put to one side.
3. In a large pan, fry the onions with the oil on a medium to high heat for 3-5 minutes or until translucent.
4. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.
5. Add the spices from stage 3 and cook for 1 minute.
6. Add your pre-combined ingredients from stage 1 to the pan and cook for 15-20 minutes at a low simmer. Over time, the mixture will reduce and thicken. Ensure to stir every 5 minutes to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom.
7. Next, add stage 4 to the pan, stir in well and cook for a further 10-15 minutes.
8. While the stew is cooking, pour the rice into a pan over a low heat with the salt, add the boiling water, swirl the rice once in the pan to make sure it is well distributed.
9. Cover and turn the heat down to as low as possible. Cook for 10 mins, leaving the lid on. Check the rice is cooked by trying a grain, keep cooking for another couple of mins if it’s not quite ready, then turn the heat off.
10. Serve the rice & stew together and eat while hot.