Malian Lamb with Jollof Rice is a national favorite dish, served often on special occasions. Rich, hearty and filling!

Note: This recipe is taken from our Malian Cuisine page. For more great dishes from Mali, click here.

(Photo Attributed to Author- w:user:Bamakhrama)

Malian Lamb with Jollof Rice Recipe-

Ingredients:

• 3 large tomatoes, blanched, peeled and mashed
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 large onion, peeled and fine chopped
• 1 large onion, peeled and thick sliced
• 2 oz. (60ml) dendé oil, (a must ingredient, for authentic Malian flavor)
• 4 large cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thin
• 16 oz. (450g) freshly cooked rice
• 2 Maggi cubes, crushed, (another must have ingredient)
• 2 Scotch Bonnet hot chili peppers, seeds left in, chopped fine
• Freshly ground coarse sea salt and black peppercorns, to taste
• ½ (more or less) cup lamb broth
• 1 lb. (450g) boneless lamb loin, cut into bite-sized cubes

Directions:

1. Mix and combine the tomatoes and tomato paste in a bowl and set aside.
2. Brush the onion slices with dendé oil then sauté for about 2 – 3 minutes, or until nicely browned.
3. Combine the crushed Maggi cubes, the grilled onion slices and the chopped Scotch Bonnet peppers and pulverize them into one seasoning paste with a mortar and pestle (http://amzn.to/1HMhDtu ) (this is the traditional Malian way; you could cheat and use an electric blender or food processor).
4. Fry the chopped onion in dendé oil in a large saucepan or skillet, over medium high heat, until fragrant and translucent, and then add the garlic and meat
5. Sauté until the lamb, stirring, until the cubes are well browned on all sides, then reduce the heat to a lively simmer and stir in the tomato mixture. Cook for 2-3 minutes, and then add in the onion and chili pepper mixture.
6. Now add in about ½ cup of the lamb broth—just enough to create a fairly loose, but still sauce-like texture to the cooking mixture, and then season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Stir everything together thoroughly, and simmer on very low heat for at least 45 minutes, or until the meat is cooked fork tender.
8. Remove the meat from the skillet with a slotted spoon, place in a bowl, and keep warm in the oven.
9. Consider the cooking liquids. You want the liquid to be just the right consistency so that when you add the rice, the rice will absorb it and you are not left with “soupy” Jollof rice, and at the same time, if it is too thick and pasty, you need to loosen it up a bit. Adjust as necessary, by either adding more broth, or simmering the liquid a while longer to reduce it more.
10. When your cooking mixture is just right, stir the rice into it, and simmer-cook for a few minutes, stirring often, just long enough to get the rice seasoned well and warmed up.
11. To serve you Malian Lamb with Jollof Rice dish, fill the center of a large, attractive serving platter with a heaping mound of the rice, and then place the cubed lamb pieces around the perimeter of the platter.