Late at night in Accra, after the chop bars close, roadside stalls light their gas burners and start frying. Woks hiss as cooks toss rice with carrots, green beans, onions and spring onions, then pile it into takeaway packs alongside a piece of fried chicken, a spoon of shito and some salad. Ghanaian fried rice is one of the city’s favourite late-night meals and a fixture at birthday parties, weddings and office events. It may have been inspired by Chinese restaurants, but it now has a style all its own.
Ingredients, method and chicken
Typical Ghanaian fried rice includes long-grain rice, carrots, green beans, green peppers, onions, spring onions and sometimes peas and eggs. Seasoning cubes, soy sauce or curry powder add flavour. Rice is cooked first and allowed to cool. It is then fried quickly with the vegetables and seasoning in a hot pan or wok. Fried rice is usually served with fried or grilled chicken. The chicken is often seasoned and fried until crisp.
A spoonful of shito, the black pepper sauce, is almost essential. It adds heat and depth.
Salad, Chinese influence and parties
A simple salad of cabbage, carrots, cucumber and tomatoes, sometimes with salad cream, is served on the side. Chinese restaurants in Accra helped popularise fried rice, but Ghanaian cooks adapted it to local tastes, adding more pepper and serving it with shito. Fried rice sellers set up in the evenings near junctions, nightlife areas and residential streets, serving workers and late-night customers.
Fried rice is a standard party dish, often served alongside jollof rice, so guests can choose. Many Ghanaians have strong opinions about whether jollof or fried rice is the better party food.
Prices, home and office lunches
Prices vary with the size of the chicken and the portion. Some sellers offer cheaper portions with eggs or sausage instead of chicken. Many families make fried rice at home for Sunday lunch or special occasions. Some cooks add shrimp, beef or liver, or make vegetable-only versions. Fried rice and chicken is also a common choice for office lunches and events, delivered in packs by caterers who cook in large quantities.
Fried rice arrived in Accra by way of Chinese kitchens. By the time it reaches a Ghanaian party plate with shito on the side, very little about it feels foreign.