AI-generated image
Check rice
Jute leaf and okra rice
Check rice: Liberia's one-pot rice flecked green with jute leaves and okra
Liberians call it check rice because the grains come out flecked green with chopped jute leaves and okra, a checked pattern on a white field. It is a Monrovia home favourite, cooked in one pot so the rice absorbs the palm oil, onion and pepper while the greens soften into the grains and give them a gentle silkiness. Dried fish or meat often goes in; this version stays meat-free and is good alongside a pepper sauce, fried plantain or a simple bean stew. Chef's tip: lay the jute leaves on top of the rice instead of stirring them in; they steam gently, and you fold them through only at the end, which keeps the grains separate.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz jute leavesfresh or frozen, also sold as molokhia; or 200 g spinach and 100 g more okra
- 7 oz okrathinly sliced
- 4 tbsp red palm oil
- 1 onionchopped
- 1 Scotch bonnet chillifinely chopped
- 3 ¾ cups vegetable stock
- 1 tsp salt
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Wash the 14 oz long-grain parboiled rice in several changes of water until it runs clear, then drain.
3 minStep 2: Pick the 10 ½ oz jute leaves leaves from their stems and chop finely.
7 minStep 3: Warm the 4 tbsp red palm oil in a heavy pot over a medium heat and cook the 1 onion for 4 minutes until soft.
4 minStep 4: Add the 7 oz okra and 1 Scotch bonnet chilli and cook for 3 minutes, stirring.
3 minStep 5: Pour in the 3 ¾ cups vegetable stock, add the 1 tsp salt and bring to the boil. Stir in the rice once, then scatter the jute over the top.
3 minStep 6: Cover tightly and cook over the lowest heat for 20 minutes without stirring, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice tender. Stirring at this stage is the mistake to avoid: the okra and jute turn the rice gummy.
20 minStep 7: Rest off the heat for 5 minutes, then fold the leaves through gently with a fork to give the green-flecked look. Serve hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 510 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 88 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does check rice take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of long-grain parboiled rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Paneer biryaniRice and moong dal in coconut milk
A mild, creamy biryani: rice and husked green gram roasted in ghee, then cooked in coconut milk with peas, carrots, potatoes, peanuts and cashews, and finished with soft fried paneer and a fresh coriander yogurt. Serve hot, garnished with more fried cashews and paneer.
Indian
Khao kluk kapiShrimp paste rice
Everything on this central Thai plate is arranged in little heaps around a mound of rice tossed with garlic and fermented shrimp paste: sticky caramelised pork (moo wan), threads of sour green mango, shallots, chillies, sliced long beans, crisp dried shrimp and ribbons of thin omelette. You mix a bit of each into every spoonful, so salty, sweet, sour and hot arrive together. It's a favourite at Bangkok's curry-and-rice shops and a clever way to use up yesterday's rice at home; lime wedges and cucumber cool it down. Chef's tip: use day-old jasmine rice straight from the fridge, because freshly cooked rice clumps and smears the shrimp paste instead of coating each grain.
Thai
Hyderabadi chicken dum biryani
Hyderabad's biryani grew up in the kitchens of the Nizams, and the kacchi style is its proudest form: the chicken goes into the pot raw, in a thick yogurt, mint and fried-onion marinade, and cooks only in the steam trapped under part-cooked basmati. In the old city it is wedding and Eid food, ordered in huge copper deghs, and at home it's the Sunday showpiece, served with mirchi ka salan and a cooling raita. Because the meat cooks without being stirred, small bone-in thigh and drumstick pieces work best. Chef's tip: marinate overnight in the fridge — the yogurt tenderises the chicken and the flavours go right to the bone.