Riz au Gras (Ivorian Fat Rice) is a traditional Ivorian recipe for a classic dish of rice blended with tomatoes, chillies, onions and beef with thyme. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Ivorian version of: Ivorian Fat Rice (Riz au Gras).
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The name of this classic Ivorian (from Côte d'Ivorie) literally translates as 'fat rice' and is also sometimes called 'riz gras à l'Ivorienne' and if it made with chicken rather than beef or goat meat it can be called riz gras au poulet, just as this meat version is also known as Riz Gras à la Viande. This is made with the rice equivalent of bulgur wheat, cracked or broken rice. Ris au Gras is the Francophone equivalent of Jollof Rice.
Ingredients:
1kg (2 lbs) of broken rice
1.5kg (3 lbs) of beef
500ml (2 cups) peanut oil
400g (14 oz) tin peeled tomatoes
400g (14 oz) passata (tomato sauce)
fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
2 sachets of tomato Maggi
4 piri-piri (African birds' eye chillies)
1 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
3 onions, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
Method:
Wash the rice in a large bowl of water, making sure you rub everything between your hands. Pour away the water then keep washing until the water runs clear.
Add a little oil to the base of a pressure cooker. Add in the meat, cut into large cubes, then add 1/4 sliced onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, 1/4 tsp thyme and 200ml (4/5 cup) water. Secure the lid and pressure cook for 30 minutes. Allow the pressure to reduce naturally. Remove and drain the meat once cooked and reserve the stock.
Heat the remaining oil in a pan, add the left-over onions and fry for about 6 minutes, until browned then add the meat. Fry for about 3 minutes until browned then add the tomatoes and 100ml (2/5 cup) water, Cook for 10 minutes, until almost dry then pour in the water from pressure cooking the meat along with the passata, chillies, remaining thyme, bayleaves, Maggi tomato salt and black pepper.
Bring everything to a boil, covered and cook for 2 minutes then stir in the washed rice. Stir well to combine and add more water as needed (you need to water to cover the rice by 2cm [4/5 in]). Adjust the seasonings to taste, cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes over low heat. The rice should be tender and essentially dry.
Turn off the heat, cover and steam for 5 minutes. After this time, fluff up the rice and serve.
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