Tomato Rice (Fat Rice from Burkina Faso)
Fat Rice from Burkina Faso is such a quick and easy dish for midweek. You can serve tomato rice with chicken but it’s equally as nice on its own! A totally delicious, vegan dinner.
I love a quick and easy dinner, and this one is certainly all those things. Tomato Rice (A.K.A Fat Rice from Burkina Faso) is super simple. A dish of this curried rice, fried with onion, garlic and carrot, will last for lunch the next day too. You could also serve with a fried chicken breast or perhaps add some diced chicken in the rice dish too.
Serve up with my Spicy Coconut Chicken Curry – the tomato-ness of the rice will pair will with the creaminess of this Brazilian curry. See below for more serving suggestions.
What is Fat Rice?
Fat Rice is the national dish of Burkina Faso, a country in West Africa. It’s also known as ‘Riz Gras’. Fat rice typically contains a lot of oil (the reason for its name) but I decided to make a drier version as this is how I like rice. Eat This Ny made a version containing more oil.
Fat rice is usually eaten at large gatherings and can also be made with chicken. Chicken is expensive in Burkina Faso however so a vegetarian version would be common too. Check out The Foreign Fork’s version with chicken.
Ingredients needed
Scroll down to the recipe card for exact quantities.
White rice
Tin of chopped tomatoes
Garlic clove
Olive oil
Vegetable stock
Onion
Tomato paste
Carrots
Curry powder (you can choose the spice level!)
Sprig of parsley to serve
Timings
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook time
20 mins
Total time
25 mins
Servings
2-3 people
How do you cook fat rice?
Step 1 – Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Once hot, fry the chopped onion and crushed garlic.
Step 2 – Add the diced carrots and stir all together. Squeeze in the tomato paste, and add curry power. Give it all a good stir so it coats the veg.
Step 3 – Pour in the rice and stir again to coat. Add the tin of tomatoes and vegetable stock. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, until the rice is nice and fluffy and the water has evaporated. Serve with a sprig of parsley.
Equipment Needed
Medium saucepan
Chopping board
Garlic crusher
Chef’s knife
Measuring spoons
Wooden spoon
Measuring jug
Frequently Asked Questions!
Is fat rice gluten-free?
Yes! It’s a misconception that rice contains gluten. Rice in its natural form doesn’t contain any gluten (see WebMD for more info).
Can I freeze tomato rice?
You can certainly freeze this rice. Spread out onto a baking sheet and leave to cool. Scoop up into a reusable freezer bag, label and freeze for 2 months. Take out of the bag and defrost in a microwave for 2-3 minutes. Check it’s piping hot before eating.
Serving suggestions
This tomato rice would serve really well with a roasted chicken breast or pan-fried pork chop. Alternatively, spicy curries are also a hit! You could try this Brazilian Spicy Coconut Chicken Curry; Bhutanese Spicy Chicken Curry; Caribbean Mild Beef Curry or my Middle-Eastern Tomato Fish Curry.
Tomato Rice (Fat Rice from Burkina Faso)
Equipment
- Chef's knife
- Measuring spoons
- Wooden spoon
- Measuring Jug
- Chopping board
- Garlic Crusher
- Medium saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- 1 carrot diced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp curry powder you can choose spice level
- 300 g basmati rice
- 1/2 tin of chopped tomatoes
- 300 ml vegetable stock made with 1 stock cube
- 2 parsley sprigs
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Once hot, fry the chopped onion and crushed garlic.
- Add the diced carrots and stir all together. Squeeze in the tomato paste, and add curry power. Give it all a good stir so it coats the veg.
- Pour in the rice and stir again to coat. Add the tin of tomatoes and vegetable stock. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, until the rice is nice and fluffy and the water has evaporated. Serve with a sprig of parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
More African Recipes –
African Fat Cakes from Botswana
African Peanut Sweet Potato Stew from West Africa
African Peanut Chicken Stew from Angola (Chicken Muamba)
Algerian Semolina Bread
