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Gambian · West African

Benachin

Non-vegetarian

Benn cin

The Gambian one-pot rice — the name means 'one pot' in Wolof — with beef or fish, tomato, vegetables and a whole chilli, the rice cooked in the stew so it soaks up every bit of flavour.

Benachin is a Gambian rice dish, ready in about 1 hour 50 minutes and made with beef chuck, tomato paste and long-grain white rice. It serves 6 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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No licensed photograph of this dish yet.

Prep
20 min
Cook
1 h 20 min
Rest
10 min
Total
1 h 50 min
Serves
6
Level
Intermediate
Calories
534

Ingredients

6 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Brown the beef in the oil, add the onions (opens in a new tab) and fry until golden, then the garlic (opens in a new tab) and tomato paste (opens in a new tab). Fry, stirring, until the paste turns brick-red.

    Meat searing in a hot pan
    How it looks · Photo: Skylar Kang on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the blended tomato (opens in a new tab), chilli, bay leaves (opens in a new tab), pepper (opens in a new tab), salt and water. Simmer covered for 35 minutes.

    • 35 min
    • medium-low heat
    A sauce simmering in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Nanda Mends on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Add the carrots (opens in a new tab), cabbage (opens in a new tab) and green beans (opens in a new tab), cook 10 minutes, then lift them out and keep warm.

    • 10 min
    • medium-low heat

  4. Step 4

    Stir in the rice, cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat until tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Rest 10 minutes and serve topped with the vegetables.

    • 20 min
    • low heat

    Food safety: Cool leftover rice quickly and refrigerate within 1 hour.

About this dish

Origin
Not attributed to one place · Origin disputedMany accounts link one-pot tomato rice (jollof) to the Senegambia region and the Wolof people, but its origin is debated; benachin is the Gambian name and style.Also popular in The Gambia, Senegal
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Rice dishes · Main courses
Cooking method
Simmered, Stewed
Taste
savoury, tangy, spicy (chilli heat), rich
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · High-protein · Low-fat
With the listed swaps: Beef-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Festive & celebration · Batch cooking
Cook more with
Beef chuck · Tomato paste · Long-grain white rice · Onion · Garlic · Tomato
Techniques
Simmering · Stewing

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

534 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 546 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 19%
  • Carbohydrate 55%
  • Fat 26%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy534 kcal98 kcal
Protein25.8 g4.7 g
Carbohydrate73.5 g13.5 g
Net carbohydrate69 g12.6 g
Sugars7.1 g1.3 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre4.5 g0.8 g
Fat15.3 g2.8 g
Saturated fat2.5 g0.5 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol53 mg10 mg
Sodium887 mg162 mg
Salt equivalent2.2 g0.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
859 mg
Calcium
101 mg
Iron
6 mg
Magnesium
64 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
201 µg
Vitamin C
30 mg
Vitamin D
0.1 µg
Vitamin B12
1.9 µg
Folate (DFE)
330 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: green beans.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • The crispy rice at the bottom of the pot (kanzo) is the prized part — let it catch slightly.

Common mistakes

  • Too much liquid when the rice goes in — it should sit about 1 cm above the rice, or the grains go mushy.

Storage

  • Refrigerate within an hour of cooking, up to 2 days.

Reheating

  • Reheat until piping hot with a splash of water.

Variations

  • Fish benachin: Made with fried fish and a little dried fish in the sauce, popular along the coast.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 4

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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