This is a simple yet flavourful recipe that turns the humble boiled rice into a delicious side. It is fluffy, incredibly fragrant from the garlic and spices and has a beautiful colour from the turmeric and curry powder.
Ghanaian Agwa Mu and Spiced Rice
Oil and seasoned rice are a speciality of West Africans. Beyond jollof rice, we have a vast collection of braised, seasoned rice dishes that are integral to our culinary traditions. I mean we also domesticated rice too (not just East Asia) so we have had millennia to refine our expertise in rice.
This golden spiced rice has been a favourite for decades. The rice cooker was the hardest working member of our family with fresh batches cooked daily. My mum would usually try and switch it up and her preferred method was to add some spices and oil to the rice. Drawing inspiration from agwa mu, which is Ghanaian oil rice (rice cooked in a base of onion fried in oil), this rice requires blooming a few spices, namely anise seeds and coriander seeds, lightly toasting the rice along with fried garlic and cooking it with curry powder and turmeric to get a fluffy, flavourful rice. It takes just as long as cooking white rice (which is not long at all) and can really set a meal apart.
Why you need to make this Golden Spiced Rice
- The rice is very easy to make. It follows the same process as making any rice with the addition of extra flavour to take the rice to the next level.
- It stores very well. This rice has been part of many meal prep rotations in my household. it freezes incredibly well too.
- It is absolutely delicious. Rice on its own is delicious but this golden spiced rice goes a bit above. if you are looking to wow with a simple side dish, this is the recipe for you.
What ingredients do you need to make golden spiced rice
- Oil: Neutral oil or coconut oil
- Spices: I prefer coriander and anise seeds (which you see in many Ghanaian spice blends) but cumin seeds and star anise together work fabulously too
- Onion and Garlic: This is the base of many savoury Ghanaian dishes. Frying them a little adds colour but also flavour into the rice. Browned onions add sweetness. Browning the garlic a bit is part of the maillard reaction which adds complex flavors, and stronger aroma to the rice.
- Turmeric and Curry powder: Good quality turmeric is bright yellow-orange. This adds a vibrant colour but also an earthy fragrance and flavour. Curry powder further enforces the turmeric colour but with the addition of warm and floral spices that add more flavour to the rice. Black pepper has pepperin which makes it easier to absorb the curcumin in turmeric.
- Water or Broth: Whether you go with plain water of a vegetable broth the rice will be rich in flavour. I would recommend a simple broth that adds savouriness but does not overpower the spices.
- Rice: We are a jasmine rice household or West African rice household but this rice works with any long or medium grain rice following simple process of cooking the perfect rice. This recipe could work for brown rice if you follow the general cooking guideline for brown rice — 1:2 rice to water ratio. It will also need more time to cook.
How to cook the perfect and fluffiest golden spiced rice.
This method applies my tried true and tested method of cooking the perfect pot of white rice and applies it to this golden spiced rice
- Saute the onion and garlic in hot oil to brown. The brown onions adds sweetness and the resulting maillard reaction adds a beautiful garlic and savory aroma to the rice.
- Add the spices. The compounds in spices that give them their unique frances are fat soluble so blooming in oil helps to release more of their amazing aroma.
- Wash you rice at least three times to wash away any extra starch. Add the rice to the oil and toast the rice for a 2-3 minutes, this allows them to start infusing the flavour
- For every 1 part of rice you use, I recommend using 1.25 part of water for jasmine or 1.5 part of any other long grain rice. Add the water, bring the pot to a boil at medium heat. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to low and cook for 20-25 minutes. Do not disturb the pot, do not remove the lid. This allows the rice to cook through and evenly.
- Once the rice is done, allow the rice to cool down for at least 10 minutes. This is especially important for non stick pots because it makes it easier to easily scoop out the bottom of the rice.
- Serve with a salad or protein
What should I serve with the rice
- Any protein works. I highly recommend my Nokoss Tofu recipe. The Mishkaki tofu is also good as well as my Spicy Suya meatballs.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp anise seeds
- 1-2 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups long grain rice preferably jasmine
- 2 1/2 cups of water see note below
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a large pot set over medium heat, heat the oil and saute the onions and garlic till starting to brown
- Add the spices and stir around for up to 30 seconds. This increases fragrance and flavour.
- Wash the rice and add it straight into the pot. Stir the rice around for about 2-3 minutes to toast and allow the rice to be well coated by the spices.
- Add in water and salt. Cover well and bring the pot to a boil, still over medium heat. Once bubbling, turn the heat to low. Keep the rice covered and let it cook for about 25 minutes or until tender. Turn off the heat, allow the rice to rest for about 5 minutes then it is ready to serve.