Pork and parsnip jollof rice

Jollof rice is one of my midweek favourites, light, healthy and easy to make. Although I don't work away from the house, it is a quick one for those who do to make when you get home from work and have a hungry family to feed. Whip, whop, all done in 30 minutes!

I found the recipe in a magazine, most likely Asda's monthly magazine, but it could have been Tesco's or Morrison's. Either way, because I adapted it, I now only have my own handwritten guidelines and I don't always follow those. The recipe is very forgiving. If you forget something or do it in the wrong order, it doesn't matter, as long as it is there in the end.

While I'm on a roll with the positives, the best thing with this meal is that you can change it as you please. At some point it may cease to be a jollof rice, but that is of no importance when you sit down to eat. The original recipe in the magazine was made with basmati rice. I have never actually tried that in this dish. The first time I made it, I used parsnip rice and loved it so much that I have stuck to that.

Now to the range of other adaptations that can be done:

1. You can simply use the seasoning for the rice, but if you use vegetable rice of some sort, you need to reduce the amount of liquid or it will get very sloppy. Serve with your choice of fish, meat and/or vegetables.
2. It can be made completely vegetarian, with only the rice and vegetables of your choice. By changing and swapping both rice and vegetables, there is no end to the varieties you can make.
3. I have cooked this with chicken and with pork. Just like with the vegetables, the meat can be swapped to your liking. It would also work with fish and seafood instead of meat. 
4. Why not try only meat or fish, cooked with vegetables in the tomato sauce and perhaps a little stock, then serve with rice or whatever you please on the side? You will still have all the flavours, but it will be a saucier meal. This is however when the name of the dish comes into jeopardy, especially if you opt for anything other than rice when you serve.
5. Finally, make it as mild or hot as you please by playing with the chilli.

With all this said, the time has come to reveal what you need. There were measurements in the original recipe and in the guidelines I wrote for myself, but I rarely look at them. I will however share them with you, to give you a rough idea of how the dish is meant to taste, if cooked my way.

You need:

500 g parsnip (or any vegetable) rice

600 g meat of your choice, diced

1 onion, roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

chilli flakes to taste

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 tin chopped tomatoes

2 peppers, roughly chopped

salt & pepper

300 ml chicken stock (This is only to be used if you opt for 300 g proper rice or want it saucy 

to serve without rice, alongside trimmings of your choice. If you cook with vegetable 

rice, don't use stock. You can however crumble the stock cube for extra flavour.)

1. Get all the ingredients out.

I was running low on garlic (shock horror!) so I had to reduce from three to two cloves. 

It didn't make any difference, as they were big cloves. You can use garlic powder or 

paste if you don't have any fresh at home.

2. Get chopping.

3. Start by softening the onion in a little oil.

4. While the onion is cooking, dice the meat.

Did you notice that I have colour coded chopping boards?

5. Add the meat and garlic to the onion. Cook until the meat is half done.

You may want to fry off the garlic before adding the meat, but I don't find it necessary.

6. While you are waiting, chop the peppers.

7. When the meat is half cooked, add the seasoning and tomato puree and mix well.

Cook for a minute.

8. Add the peppers and mix again.

9. Add the chopped tomatoes and crumbled stock cube. Mix well 

and leave to cook until the meat is completely done.

10. Time to peel and chunk the parsnips, or whatever vegetables you prefer for your rice.

11. Pop the chunks into a food processor or get your grater out.

12. Blitz the chunks into rice.

13. When the meat is cooked, do a taste test. It should be full of flavour and have a creamy texture. 

If it is still watery, it needs to cook some more before you add the vegetable rice.

14. Add the vegetable rice.

Exactly when to add the rice is a judgement call. If you use proper rice, it would have been added at an early stage and cooked with the meat. Liquid would have been adjusted to ensure there was enough. With vegetable rice, it is different. You don't want too much liquid in the pan when it added, as it will get sloppy and unappetising. It should however still be wet enough for the rice to soak up some liquid and cook to perfection in a couple of minutes, leaving a still moist but not runny dish. If in doubt, leave too little liquid and add more after folding in the rice, if needed. 

This will give you a better idea of the rice - meaty sauce ratio. Note the liquid around the edges.

15. Gently fold in the rice and mix well. Leave to cook for a couple of minutes, 

until the rice has soaked up the excess tomato sauce. You can sprinkle with 

some leaf coriander or spring onion, if you want to be fancy.

16. Dish up and enjoy.

I really hope you will enjoy this dish as much as I do. I love this with pork and I use shoulder steaks rather than chops, as chops can get a bit dry. The meat needs to be tender and able to soak up the flavours to be enjoyable. Because of the vegetable rice, this is what I consider to be a healthy meal.