Charleston red rice or the Savannah red rice as it is known in Africa, is a rice dish commonly found along the Southeastern coastal regions of Georgia and South Carolina, it is known simply as red rice by natives of that region. The Rice is nothing unique but its rich history brings out quite the flavours.
This was a traditional meal of the West Coast Africans, brought over to the U.S. by enslaved Africans originating from the West Coast of Africa. This cultural food is almost always synonymous with the Gullah or Ogeechee people. The heritage that is still prevalent throughout the entire surrounding regions of South Carolina and Georgia. The main component of the dish consists of the cooking of white rice with crushed tomatoes instead of water and small bits of bacon or smoked pork sausage. Celery, bell peppers, and onions are the traditional vegetables used for seasoning. This dish was a delicacy that dealt with an occasional use and usually was considered a rare treat because the dish would take a sufficient amount of time and effort to play out perfectly.
Ingredients
tomato paste: 1 can
medium onions, diced fine: 2
bell pepper, diced fine: 1
teaspoons of salt: 2
granulated sugar: 3 tsp
bacon, fried and grease held aside: 1 lb
smoked beef sausage: 1 lb
cups of water: 3
raw long grain rice: 2 cups
black pepper: 2 tbsp
How To Make Charleston red rice
- Fry bacon and remove from the pan
- Saute'onions and peppers in the bacon grease;.
- Add tomato paste water salt sugar and pepper.
- Cook uncovered slowly about 5 minutes and then add the rice another 5 minutes until mixture is bubbly then pour into the top section of a rice steamer or you can use a very large Pyrex dish.
- Pour mixture in and add the sausage and crumble up the bacon and mix into the rice mixture.