Through the years, jollof, a local African dish made commonly in Ghana and Nigeria, has become very popular, especially in foreign countries. This is surprising as even people that come from those places cannot even make it themselves—people like myself. “Making foods from other people’s cultures can be challenging, but making jollof is a piece of cake,” [Says] Ama Amponsah, who is a Ghanaian chef and owner of Ama’s Cuisine in Accra, Ghana. To prove her point, she had a visiting neighbour of hers, who was a Native Indian, make a plate of jollof. All she did was tell her the steps.
“Jollof is a dish that basically involves blending and mixing ingredients. It is really that simple, nothing too complex.” The process starts by blending your fresh and healthy vegetables together. Some onions and some garlic. Then, you wash your fresh meat with some vinegar and a salt solution twice. Next, tomatoes, garlic, onions, pepper, and some salt are boiled together with the meat to add some flavor. According to Ama, you must also ensure that you cut your pieces of meat into squares so the meat “blends well” into the jollof.
After the meat is cooked, you must blend some onions and tomatoes to start the stew process. Fry the mixture. “I suggest about 5-10 minutes,” she tells me. Then add some more pepper if needed and add your preferred seasoning. “I love me some curry powder and a spice cube, preferably the Maggi brand.”
The meat is then incorporated into the stew and is left to simmer for about 10 more minutes. The last step is to pour the rice into the stew mixture, add some water and salt, stir it and cover it up with a napkin. After about 45 minutes, if your rice has reached your preferred texture, then it is ready.
“I love teaching people of different cultures how to make food from mine. I also love to teach people from my culture how to make our food.” Ama concludes by saying that everyone makes their jollof in many different ways, but this is the easiest way. It is simple, quick, easy, and everyone can follow these steps. It is important to learn to do things from other people’s cultures in order to be socially diverse and to be able to relate and associate with people of different cultures.
