Smoky Ghanaian jollof rice simmered with warm curry spice and finished with plump, quickly seared shrimp.
Seafood jollof, made with shrimp or fish instead of the more common chicken or beef, is a genuine variation found along Ghana's coast, where fresh catches from the Gulf of Guinea naturally find their way into the country's signature rice dish. This version keeps the essential jollof technique — a reduced tomato-pepper base, warm curry spicing, and rice steamed directly in that sauce — while folding in shrimp at the very end so they stay tender rather than turning rubbery from overcooking. The tomato-pepper-onion base is blended and reduced the same way as any proper jollof, cooked down until the oil separates, which builds the deep, slightly sweet backbone the dish depends on. Curry powder and thyme season the rice as it steams, a combination distinctly associated with Ghanaian jollof more than other West African versions. Shrimp are seasoned separately and stirred into the rice only in the final few minutes of cooking, just long enough to turn pink and opaque, keeping them plump and juicy rather than tough.
Serves 4
Blend the tomatoes, bell peppers, scotch bonnet and one onion until smooth.
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the diced onion 5 minutes until soft.
Add the blended mixture and tomato paste. Simmer uncovered 20-25 minutes until thickened and the oil separates and rises to the surface.
Stir in curry powder, thyme, bay leaves and salt. Add the rinsed rice, coat in the sauce, then pour in the stock. Cover tightly and cook over low heat 25 minutes until nearly tender.
Season shrimp with a pinch of salt, nestle into the rice, re-cover, and cook 5-6 minutes more until the shrimp are pink and the rice is fully tender.
Let stand covered off heat 5 minutes, then fluff gently and scatter with fresh parsley.
Add the shrimp only in the final 5-6 minutes so they cook through gently rather than turning rubbery from prolonged heat.
Reduce the tomato base fully before adding the rice — a watery, underdone base leads to bland jollof no matter how long the rice cooks.
Use parboiled rice, which holds its structure better through the steaming process than regular long-grain rice.
Fish version: substitute chunks of firm white fish for shrimp, added at the same point in the cooking process.
Extra smoky: let the rice cook a couple of minutes longer at the end over slightly higher heat for a deeper bottom crust.
Mixed seafood: combine shrimp with squid rings for a more varied seafood jollof.
Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water, since shrimp toughen if reheated too hard or for too long.
Jollof rice originated with the Wolof people of the Senegambia region and spread throughout West Africa, with Ghana's coastal communities developing their own seafood variations using local shrimp and fish from the Gulf of Guinea. Curry powder became a defining seasoning in Ghanaian jollof through trade influences, distinguishing it from some other West African versions of the dish.
Yes — thaw them fully in the refrigerator and pat dry before adding to the rice, as excess moisture from frozen shrimp can make the finished rice slightly wetter than intended.
This usually happens with regular long-grain rice instead of parboiled rice, or from too much liquid. Parboiled rice holds its shape much better through the steaming process.
Habanero peppers are the closest substitute in both flavor and heat level. For a milder dish, use a jalapeno or reduce the amount of pepper used.
Per serving (390g / 13.8 oz) · 4 servings total
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