Photograph of this dish. Zakaria Tunsung · CC0.
Ghanaian · Ghana
Ghanaian jollof
Also called Jollof
Ghanaian jollof, a dish from Ghana (Jollof).
Pai editors’ mark 4 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Ghanaian jollof is cooked in Ghana as its own dish. Fry the tomato paste in oil until it smells sweet and the oil separates, then cook the rice in that base. Amounts are scaled for four from foods this library can count, so the nutrition panel comes from those ingredients.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
80
Health score
Light & nourishing
Moderate
Richness
Light
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 24%
- Carbs 54%
- Fat 22%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Watch · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or fiber keeps this off the heart-friendly list.
Watch · Weight loss
Calories, protein, or richness make this a fuller plate than a light day wants.
Suits · High protein
About 33 g of protein in the serving.
Watch · Low sodium
About 746 mg of sodium, above the 450 mg mark.
Suits · Gluten-free
No wheat, barley, or rye in the required list. Still read labels on sauces and oats.
Suits · Dairy-free
No milk ingredients in the required list.
Watch · Vegetarian
Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish is in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Watch · Gentle when sick
The heat is more than a gentle bowl wants.
Watch · Kid-friendly
The heat is above a mild mark.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Dry jasmine rice274 kcal
- Chicken thigh157 kcal
- Neutral oil62 kcal
- Canned crushed tomato26 kcal
- Yellow onion18 kcal
- Tomato paste11 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 52.3. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving, as written, is about 554 kcal.
Allergens. None flagged in the required list.
Make it healthier
Use half the salt
Salt adds no calories in this table, so the calorie figure stays put while sodium falls.
About 554 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and brighten the plate with lemon or lime.
The same dish with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Replace the meat or fish with the same weight of drained chickpeas.
The seasoning and the method stay. The center of the plate changes. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 554 kcal | 28% |
| Protein | 33 g | 66% |
| Carbohydrate | 74.1 g | 27% |
| Fiber | 3.8 g | 14% |
| Total sugars | 7 g | 14% |
| Fat | 13.3 g | 17% |
| Saturated fat | 2.7 g | 14% |
| Cholesterol | 122 mg | 41% |
| Sodium | 746 mg | 32% |
| Potassium | 822 mg | 17% |
| Calcium | 86 mg | 7% |
| Iron | 6.4 mg | 36% |
| Magnesium | 76 mg | 18% |
| Zinc | 3.2 mg | 29% |
| Vitamin A | 39 mcg | 4% |
| Vitamin C | 14.9 mg | 17% |
| Vitamin D | 0 mcg | 0% |
| Vitamin E · estimate | 2 mg | 13% |
| Vitamin K · estimate | 30 mcg | 25% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.6 mg | 53% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.4 mg | 28% |
| Niacin (B3) | 11.2 mg | 70% |
| Vitamin B6 · estimate | 0.8 mg | 48% |
| Folate · estimate | 199 mcg | 50% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.8 mcg | 33% |
Low-confidence marks sit on glycemic load or on vitamins the USDA row left blank. Those vitamins are filled from a food-group reference and labeled as estimates. Reported USDA values, including zeros, are kept. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- Protein is high enough to make the meal satisfying.
- A middle path: useful food, with one or two numbers worth watching.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Heavy pot
- Scale
- Wooden spoon
- Ladle
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Dry jasmine rice1.5 cups300 g- Chicken thigh4 thighs520 g
Canned crushed tomato1 can400 g
Tomato paste3 tbsp50 g
Yellow onion1 onion180 g
Fresh ginger1 piece16 g
Fresh thyme4 sprigs3 g
Curry powder1 tsp2 g
Neutral oil2 tbsp30.77 ml
Kosher salt1 tsp4 g
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and brighten the plate with lemon or lime.. The same dish with less sodium.
- Replace the meat or fish with the same weight of drained chickpeas.. The seasoning and the method stay. The center of the plate changes.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Set a heavy pot over medium heat. For Ghanaian jollof, start here: fry the tomato paste in oil until it smells sweet and the oil separates, then cook the rice in that base.
AI-generated photo.
2Fry the tomato paste in oil until it smells sweet and the oil separates, then cook the rice in that base.
Cook 40 min
AI-generated photo.
3The liquid should be quiet and the center tender. Stop when this is true of Ghanaian jollof: Fry the tomato paste in oil until it smells sweet and the oil separates, then cook the rice in that base.
AI-generated photo.
4Ladle it into warm bowls. Ghanaian jollof is eaten in Ghana as this plate, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it.
How you know it is done
Ghanaian jollof is done when the thickest piece is tender and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
If it goes wrong
- Ghanaian jollof looks done on top and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue in the method, not the color alone. Give it a few more minutes and check the center.
- Ghanaian jollof spread, sank, or turned out dry. Measure by weight next time, heat the oven fully, and stop when the doneness cue appears rather than when the timer ends.
Storage
Cool Ghanaian jollof, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven, not a raw salad.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Ghanaian jollof is cooked by simmer in Ghana. The steps follow that technique, including the timing above.
- The meat, poultry, or fish is the protein. The panel is this plate, not a generic serving.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, and eggs through. Use pasteurized dairy if the recipe includes it. There is no alcohol in the required list.
Allergens in the required list: none flagged.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.