Jollof rice

Jollof rice, also called 'Benachin' meaning "one pot" in the Jollof language, is a popular dish all over West Africa. The dish has its ultimate origins in Senegal, where the dish was adopted by Dyula and Fulani tradesmen and travelers from the recipes of several similar rice dishes of the Wolof ("Jollof") people and spread over a larger area of West Africa. Its base consists of rice, tomatoes and tomato paste, onion, salt, spices (such as nutmeg, ginger, Guinea pepper or cumin) and chili pepper, to which optional ingredients can be added such as vegetables, meats.

The cooking method is to use groundnut oil to fry the finely-chopped onion, tomatoes and ground pepper (plus any other optional ground or chopped spices), and then to add stock and to cook the rice in this mixture so it takes up all the liquid. The rice takes on a characteristic red colour from the mixture. It can be served with cooked meat, chicken, fish or vegetables separately on the plate or they can be stirred in at the end. It is often served with fried plantain and salad.

Optional ingredients can include garlic, peas, thyme, African nutmeg, tea-bush leaves, partminger (a herb of the basil family), curry powder.

There are many variations on Jollof rice throughout West Africa.

The ingredients and serving of Jollof rice bears a resemblance to the Saudi Arabian rice dish Kabsah.