JAMBALAYA

This Spanish Recipe Serves 4

Jambalaya is a dish of Louisiana source of Spanish & French (particularly Provençal) impact. It comprises of meat & vegetables blended with rice. Customarily, the meat dependably incorporates sausages of some sort, regularly a smoked sausage, for example, andouille, alongside some other meat or fish, as often as possible pork, chicken, crayfish, or shrimp. The vegetables are normally a soffritto-like blend known as the “sacred trinity” in Creole & Cajun cooking, comprising of onion, celery, & green bell pepper, however different vegetables, for example, carrots, tomatoes, chilies, & garlic are additionally utilized. Subsequent to searing & sautéing the meat & vegetables, rice, seasonings, & stock are gathered and the whole dish is cooked into a single unit until the rice is done.

Jambalaya has its origins in a few rice-based dishes all around bore witness to in the Mediterranean cooking styles of Spain & France, particularly in the Spanish dish paella (local to Valencia) & the French dish known as jambalaia.

Pronunciation: Jum-bul-aya

Jambalaya Ingredients:

• 1 cup white rice (basmati or parboiled can be used) – I used parboiled rice
• salt to taste
• 1 onion
• 2 chilies
• ½ of each coloured bell peppers (red, green, yellow)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons  chili powder
• 6-8 chorizos or sausages of your choice. (I used spicy mutton sausages).
• 1 teaspoon coriander (dhania) powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin (jeera) powder
• few sprigs of thyme
• 250ml chicken stock
• ¼ cup hot sauce (optional)
• 1 teaspoon ginger & garlic paste
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• Hot sauce of your choice (optional)
• Freshly chopped coriander (dhania) for garnishing

Method:

1. Add rice to a bowl.
2. 
3. Rinse rice until water runs clear.
4. 
5. Add the rice to a pot. Fill the pot with water & bring the rice to a boil on high heat.
6. 
7. To achieve fluffy, non sticky rice, I personally prefer to allow the starch to build up whilst the rice is boiling (the white foam that forms in the pot), as soon as that forms, toss out that water, give it a quick rinse & fill the pot with fresh water once again. I do this about 5 times but you may cook the rice as you would prefer.
8. 
9. When the rice is almost cooked, add in salt to taste & ½ teaspoon turmeric powder.
10. 
11. Stir & allow the rice to boil until soft.
12. 
13. When rice is soft & fully cooked, strain in a colander & set aside.
14. 
15. Next, rinse & place sausages into a pan.
16. 
17. Pour in a little water.
18. 
19. Allow the sausages to steam on the stove-top on medium heat.
20. 
21. 
22. After 10 minutes of steaming, turn the sausages over & allow it to steam until the water evaporates.
23. 
24. Once the water has evaporated in the pan, keep an eye on the sausages & leave it on the pan to fry. Do not add any oil as the sausages will fry in it’s own fat & oils.
25. 
26. Fry until the sausages are golden & cooked throughout. Thereafter, remove them from the pan.
27. 
28. Slice up the sausages & set aside until ready to use.
29. 
30. Peel & chop the onions.
31. 
32. Rinse & blend tomatoes.
33. 
34. Rinse & chop bell peppers.
35. 
36. Heat the oil in a large pot. Add in the onions & thyme.
37. 
38. Mix well & allow to sauté until onions are translucent.
39. 
40. Next add in ½ turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander (dhania) powder, cumin (jeera) powder & ginger & garlic paste.
41. 
42. Mix well & simmer for 30 seconds.
43. 
44. Thereafter, add in the blended tomatoes & chilies of your choice – I’ve used birds eye chili.
45. 
46. Mix well.
47. 
48. Cover & allow the tomatoes to cook for 10 minutes.
49. 
50. Once the tomatoes have cooked, pour in the chicken stock & add salt to taste.
51. 
52. Mix well & allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
53. 
54. 
55. Add in the bell peppers.
56. 
57. Add in the sliced sausages.
58. 
59. Mix well & allow to cook for 5 minutes so that the flavours infuse together.
60. 
61. Next, add in the hot sauce (optional) & the cooked rice.
62. 
63. Mix until everything is well incorporated.
64. 
65. If there is still excess liquid, continue to stir until the liquid thickens.
66. 
67. Once the liquid has thickened, turn off the heat.
68. 
69. Garnish with fresh coriander (dhania).
70. 
71. This Jambalaya is ready to be served.
72. 
73. This dish can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.
74. 

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