White Rice/ Stew Recipe

Trim and season

If using goat or beef: trim excess fat, pat dry. If using chicken or fish: rinse and pat dry. Season the meat lightly with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. For goat/beef, you may brown in the pot for flavor (see next step).

Brown (for goat, beef, or chicken)

Heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the goat/beef/chicken pieces in a single layer and brown on all sides 3–5 minutes per side. Remove and set aside. (If using fish, skip browning and keep fish aside to add later.)

In the same pot, add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and reduce heat to medium. Add chopped onion and sauté 4–6 minutes until soft and translucent.

Add minced garlic and ginger; sauté 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

Stir in tomato paste and cook 2 minutes, stirring, to remove raw taste.

Add blended tomatoes and bell pepper (and minced hot pepper). Simmer uncovered 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens and darkens slightly.

Return browned goat/beef/chicken to the pot (or add fish gently later). Add paprika, thyme, bouillon cube/powder, remaining 1/2 tsp salt and remaining 3/4 tsp black pepper. Stir to combine.

Pour in about 1 cup water or stock, bring to a gentle simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook: for fish, simmer gently 6–8 minutes until cooked through; for chicken, 20–25 minutes; for beef, 45–60 minutes; for goat, 60–90 minutes, until tender. Check occasionally and add up to 1 additional cup water if sauce reduces too much.

While stew simmers, rinse the rice under cold water until the runoff is mostly clear to remove surface starch.

In a medium saucepan, combine rinsed rice, 3.5 cups water, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tablespoon oil or butter. Bring to a boil over high heat uncovered.

Once boiling, stir once, reduce heat to low, cover tightly and simmer 15–18 minutes without lifting the lid, until water is absorbed and rice is tender.

Turn off heat and let rice rest, covered, for 5–10 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.

If needed, taste the stew and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Stir in chopped parsley or cilantro.

Serve a portion of white rice on each plate and ladle the stew over or alongside the rice. Garnish with lime/lemon wedges if desired.

Leftovers: refrigerate stew and rice separately in airtight containers for up to 3 days; reheat gently.