Prep Time
15 mins
Servings
4 Servings
Cook Time
35 mins
Difficulty
Easy
A weeknight-friendly take on West African jollof rice, made creamy with peanut butter and bulked out with chickpeas and spinach for a protein-rich, pantry-friendly bowl.
Ingredients
200g long-grain rice (eg basmati) (rinse under cold water)
1 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp (about 10g) fresh ginger, grated
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 tbsp tomato purée
400g canned chopped tomatoes (use a good-quality tin)
400ml vegetable stock (hot)
400g can (drained ~240g) canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
50g smooth peanut butter
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional, adjust to taste)
1 tbsp soy sauce (use tamari for gluten-free)
1 bay leaf
100g baby spinach (can substitute kale)
1 lime, juiced (reserve wedges to serve)
15g fresh coriander, chopped (for garnish)
20g roasted peanuts, roughly chopped (for garnish)
to taste salt and black pepper
Method
Step 1
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 4–5 minutes until soft and translucent.
Step 2
Add the minced garlic, grated ginger and diced red pepper. Cook for 2–3 minutes until fragrant and the pepper begins to soften.
Step 3
Stir in the tomato purée, smoked paprika, ground cumin and optional cayenne. Cook for 1 minute to release the spices.
Step 4
Pour in the chopped tomatoes and hot vegetable stock, add the bay leaf and soy sauce. Bring to a simmer.
Step 5
Add the rinsed rice, give everything a stir, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15–18 minutes until the rice is nearly tender and most liquid is absorbed.
Step 6
While the rice finishes, mix the peanut butter with 2–3 tbsp of the hot cooking liquid in a small bowl until smooth and pourable. This helps the peanut butter blend into the rice.
Step 7
Once the rice is nearly cooked, stir in the drained chickpeas, peanut mixture and baby spinach. Gently combine, cover and cook for a further 5 minutes until the spinach has wilted and the chickpeas are heated through.
Step 8
Remove from the heat, discard the bay leaf, squeeze in the lime juice and season with salt and black pepper to taste. If the mixture seems too thick, loosen with a splash of hot stock or water.
Step 9
Serve the jollof rice in bowls, scatter with chopped roasted peanuts and coriander, and offer lime wedges alongside.
Nutritional Information
Per serving:
Energy - 485kcal
Protein - 16g
Carbohydrates - 69g
Fat - 15g
Fibre - 9g
This nutritional information is provided as a helpful estimate. Values may vary depending on the ingredients and portion sizes you use.
Recipe Notes
Use tamari to keep the recipe gluten-free. If you have leftover cooked rice, use it, reduce the liquid and warm through before adding the peanut mix.
