The Jollof Arbiter

Amara Osei

Amara grew up in Accra where jollof is serious business. She teaches West African home cooking as the original one-pot cuisine — jollof, egusi soup, suya spice rubs, and kelewele. Her rule: if the pot isn't big enough to feed the neighbors, get a bigger pot.

West African

Voice · Warm, commanding, generous, playfully competitive about jollof.

Signature Dishes

The essential curation of Amara's favorites.

50 MIN

Smoky Pinto Bean Fritters with Spiced Tomato Dip

Crispy bean fritters packed with smoky spices and served alongside a tangy tomato dip — a satisfying vegetarian dish inspired by West African flavors.

70 MIN

Jollof Rice Bites with Smoky Tomato Glaze

Crispy, golden jollof rice bites shaped and fried, finished with a glossy, smoky tomato glaze. Bold, tomato-rich, and with that signature jollof heat — perfect party bites that bring all the West African flavor in a small package.

55 MIN

Crispy Jollof Rice Cakes with Spicy Tomato Relish

Golden, crispy rice cakes packed with smoky jollof flavor, served alongside a fresh, fiery tomato relish. A creative way to give yesterday's jollof new life — or a reason to make a fresh batch just for these beauties.

45 MIN

Butternut Squash Rounds with Suya Spice and Spicy Aioli

Caramelized butternut squash rounds dusted with smoky suya spice blend, served with a garlicky spicy aioli. The nutty heat of the suya contrasts beautifully with the sweet squash.

35 MIN

Spicy Peanut‑Tomato Dip with Sriracha and Crispy Kale

A bold West African-inspired dip with a rich, smoky peanut-tomato base and a crispy kale crunch topping. Perfect for spreading on crusty bread or dipping plantain chips.

40 MIN

Suya-Spiced Ground Beef Skewers with Bell Pepper and Garlic

Smoky, spicy ground beef molded onto skewers with colorful bell pepper chunks and aromatic garlic, finished with a crispy exterior and juicy center. Channeling the bold flavors of Nigerian suya with peanut-kissed warmth and cayenne heat.

70 MIN

Cayenne-Spiced Banana Cake with Almond Flour & Maple Drizzle

A warmly spiced banana cake made lighter with almond flour, elevated by a subtle kick of cayenne, and finished with a rich maple drizzle. The Jollof Arbiter's sweet-heat twist on classic banana bread.

15 MIN

Spiced Cantaloupe & Mint Salad with Chili Yogurt Swirl

A bright, cooling summer salad where ripe cantaloupe meets warm spices and a fiery yogurt swirl. Sweet, tangy, and just spicy enough — perfect for hot days.

40 MIN

Jollof Spiced Ground Beef Skillet

A smoky, tomato-rich skillet dish where ground beef is simmered with jollof-inspired spices and aromatics until deeply flavored and comforting.

45 MIN

Crispy Jollof Rice Patties with Tomato Chutney

Golden, crispy patties made from seasoned jollof rice, pan-fried to perfection and served with a bright, tangy tomato chutney. A creative way to transform leftover rice into something extraordinary.

50 MIN

One-Pot Spiced Jollof Rice with Ground Beef

A rich, tomato-punched one-pot rice dish infused with warm spices and savory ground beef. This is the kind of recipe that fills the kitchen with so much flavor, your neighbors will know dinner is coming before you even call them to the table.

45 MIN

Tomato Pepper Fish Steaks with Jollof Glaze

Succulent cod steaks pan-seared to golden perfection and draped in a rich, smoky tomato-pepper jollof glaze. This is West African soul food meets elegant weeknight cooking — bold, tomato-rich, and unapologetically delicious.

45 MIN

Tomato Braised Sausage and White Beans

A hearty one-pot wonder where smoky sausages tumble through a rich tomato braise with creamy white beans. The kind of dish that fills the kitchen with warmth and makes everyone gather round the pot before it's even done.

50 MIN

Spiced Black Bean and Tomato Stew

A hearty, smoky stew where tender black beans swim in a rich tomato broth infused with cumin, paprika, and a kick of cayenne. This is the kind of pot that fills the kitchen with warmth and feeds the soul.

35 MIN

West African Tomato and Egg Skillet

A vibrant one-pan breakfast skillet packed with rich tomato sauce, caramelized peppers, and soft-set eggs. This is the kind of dish that fills your kitchen with warmth and reminds you why jollof-adjacent cooking is the heartbeat of West African home kitchens.

35 MIN

Spiced Shrimp in Tomato-Cayenne Broth

A vibrant West African-inspired shrimp dish where plump prawns swim in a smoky tomato-cayenne broth. Bold, spicy, and tomato-rich — this is the kind of dish that makes everyone gather around the pot.

45 MIN

Jollof Rice-Stuffed Bell Peppers

A glorious fusion: classic jollof rice loaded into roasted bell peppers and baked until the edges caramelize. Smoky tomato rice meets sweet pepper in one stunning presentation — Amara style, no small pots allowed.

60 MIN

Smoky Tomato Braised Chicken Thighs

Tender chicken thighs braised in a rich, smoky tomato sauce — the kind of dish that fills your kitchen with warmth and makes everyone gather before the plate even hits the table. Amara's version leans into paprika for that deep, campfire smokiness and a kick of cayenne because we don't do bland in this house.

45 MIN

Smoky Jollof Rice with Bell Peppers and Tomato Sauce

A rich, smoky West African jollof rice cooked in a vibrant tomato sauce with colorful bell peppers. This is the kind of dish that fills the kitchen with warm, spiced aromas and brings everyone to the table.

55 MIN

Suya-Spiced Chicken Thighs with Grilled Bell Peppers

Smoky, spicy suya-spiced chicken thighs charred to perfection alongside sweet grilled bell peppers. A West African-inspired grilled feast with bold flavors and aromatic spices.

65 MIN

Hearty Egusi-Inspired Beef Stew with Kale

A rich, tomato-based beef stew inspired by West African egusi flavors — smoky paprika, warm spices, and tender kale stirred into a deeply seasoned broth. Perfect for a soul-warming family dinner.

70 MIN

Pumpkin and Beef Pepper Stew

Ground beef browns first, then pumpkin goes in with tomato, bell pepper, and cayenne to simmer until the pumpkin softens and begins to dissolve into the sauce, thickening it from the inside. The sweetness of the pumpkin and the heat of the cayenne keep pulling in opposite directions, which is exactly what makes this worth eating. A generous pot that feeds a crowd without effort.

40 MIN

Smoky Chickpea and Spinach Skillet

Chickpeas go into the skillet until they catch a little color, then tomato and bell pepper go in and the smoked paprika turns everything a gorgeous rust. Spinach wilts in at the end, going from a heap to barely there in seconds, absorbing the smoky, tomatoey pan juices. Quick, honest, and not short on flavor.

55 MIN

Roasted Pepper and Turkey Traybake

Turkey pieces and sliced bell pepper go into one tray with yellow onion, cayenne, and olive oil, then into a hot oven where the edges char and the fat renders and the whole thing fills the kitchen with something impossible to ignore. Bell pepper collapses sweet and soft against the spiced turkey by the time it is done. One tray, no ceremony, all flavor.

60 MIN

Efo Riro Spinach and Beef Braise

Ground beef goes into a rich base of tomato, bell pepper, and smoked paprika and cooks until the sauce is fragrant and clings to every piece. Spinach folds in by the handful, wilting fast into the braise and soaking up the smoky, tomatoey depth. This is efo riro kept honest — no shortcuts, no fuss, just a pot that tastes like home.

45 MIN

Spiced Lentil and Sweet Potato Pot

Lentils and cubed sweet potato share a pot with tomato, ginger, and enough cayenne to give the whole thing backbone. As everything softens and the liquid reduces, the flavors collapse into each other — earthy, sweet, and hot in a way that settles rather than burns. One of those pots that tastes better the longer you let it sit.

60 MIN

Smoky Party Jollof Rice with Chicken

This is the real one — rice cooked in a blended tomato and bell pepper base with chicken thighs, cayenne, and yellow onion until each grain is stained deep red and the bottom of the pot starts to sing. That scorched layer at the base is not an accident; it is the whole point. Whoever told you jollof was simple has never made it right.

75 MIN

Lagos Mashed Beans in Smoky Pepper Sauce

Black beans are cooked until they yield, then mashed rough — not smooth, not chunky, but that satisfying middle texture that holds its shape in the sauce. Tomato, bell pepper, yellow onion, and smoked paprika reduce into the base that brings it all together, carrying that earthy, slightly sweet smokiness the streets of Lagos would recognize. Simple food made with full commitment.

55 MIN

Fiery Nigerian Red Pepper Chicken Stew

Chicken thighs braise in a sauce built from tomato sauce, bell pepper, yellow onion, and ginger — cooked down until it is thick, deeply colored, and smells like it means business. Cayenne arrives and stays, threading heat through every piece of chicken without overwhelming the complexity underneath. This is the stew that defines a Sunday.

45 MIN

Cod Braised in Fiery Pepper Sauce

Cod is a forgiving fish until you overcook it, so the trick here is letting the tomato sauce, bell pepper, yellow onion, and cayenne reduce to something fierce before the fish even touches the pot. It braises gently, drinking up the sauce, flaking apart at the gentlest prod. Bold sauce, soft fish — that contrast is everything.

From the Pantry

Signature staples

tomatotomato-saucecayennesmoked-paprikabell-pepperwhite-rice

Favorite tools

DutchOvenWoodenSpoonMortarAndPestleFryingPan

Reaches for

Scotch Bonnet PeppersPalm OilPlantain

Steers clear of

Coconut milk in jollofSoy sauce in West African food

Flavor Profile

The Loves

SmokySpicyTomato-rich

The Defaults

Scotch BonnetTomato PastePalm Oil

The Avoids

Bland riceUnderseasoned stews