Jollof Rice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jollof Rice is a popular West African dish which can be found in many variations in countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Togo, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The basic ingredients of any good jollof rice are tomatoes, tomato paste, long grained parboiled rice and red onions. It is best served with sides of fried or grilled meat/chicken, creamy salad/slaw and moi moi. Though very easy to make, it could be somewhat technical.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will be sharing 7 important tips for getting the perfect jollof rice. Do look out for them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

(1) 3 Cups Long Grain Parboiled Rice

(2) 1-1/2 Cup Pepper and Tomato Paste (Ratio: About 3 Large Red Bell Peppers and 2 Medium Tomatoes)

(3) 1 Small Can Concentrated Tomato Paste (70 Grams)

(4) 5 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil

(5) 1 Teaspoon Grated Ginger (Alternatively, blend fresh ginger with pepper and tomato paste)

(6) 1 Bay Leaf

(7) About 3-1/2 Cups Beef Broth

(8) 1 Medium Red Onion (Julienned and Divided into 2)

(9) 1 Bouillon Cube

(10) 1 Teaspoon Fresh Thyme (Minced) (You can also use dried thyme)

(11) 1 Teaspoon Curry Powder

(12) 2 Tablespoons Margarine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOTES:

(1) Jollof rice is all about the tomato and pepper paste. For a HOW TO post on how to prepare the tomato paste needed for this recipe, click here. For the ratios, I have used 3 large red bell peppers and 2 medium tomato for the paste for this recipe. I also included a medium onion, 2 garlic cloves and 1 scotch bonnet for a bit of a kick. You will also notice that the recipe calls for concentrated tomato paste aside from the tomato and pepper taste. This gives jollof rice the traditional taste it is known for. You can choose not to use this extra tomato paste, but you wont get the authentic jollof rice taste.

TIP NO 1: Your pepper and tomato paste has to be spot on as this is the main flavor component of this dish. Too much tomato and you might end up with a sour dish. Too little bell peppers and you wont get the characteristic jollof rice color. Do not use fresh blended tomato and pepper. It must be boiled to a thick paste.

(2) This recipe also calls for beef broth. Feel free to use chicken broth if that is what you have. A recipe for how to make an easy beef or chicken broth can be found here.

TIP NO 2 As with most meals, especially Nigerian meals, the broth (omi eran/ruwan nama) is very important as it serves as the base for this meal. Make sure it is flavorful. A tip when making broth is not to add to much water when cooking the meat so as not to over dilute the broth. Good broth = tasty jollof rice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PROCEDURE:

(1) Wash rice and parboil in some water for 15 minutes. Rinse the rice thereafter and set aside. I calculate the 15 minutes from the time the rice gets on fire and not from the time it starts boiling.

TIP NO 3: The jollof rice battle can be won or lost here. If you over parboil your rice, you will end up wit soggy jollof rice. Jollof rice is meant to have a little bit of bite to it. Do not parboil rice for too long. Some cooks go as far as soaking the rice in hot water for a few minutes as opposed to parboiling it. This just shows how important it is for you to get it right at this stage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2) In a heavy bottomed pot with a tight fitting lid, heat the oil.

NOTE: It is common to read comments like “do not use a non-stick pot to cook jollof rice.” The reason for this is that jollof rice gets its traditional taste from getting somewhat burnt at the bottom. I have however cooked jollof rice with non stick pots several times and it still got a bit burnt at the bottom. Thus, I feel the issue of not using non-stick pots is somewhat over exaggerated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3) Fry half of the onion and the bay leaf in the oil for 1 minute. Next a add the thyme to the onion and fry for another 1 minute. In my experience, this brings out the flavor of the thyme better.

TIP NO 4: Jollof rice is about building up of flavors. Frying your herbs will significantly improve the flavor of your jollof rice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(4) Next, add the pepper and tomato paste, grated ginger and curry and fry for about 12 minutes, stirring often.

TIP NO 5: This is the most important part of the cooking process so be sure to do it right. You want the paste to be thick and very deep red (boarder line brown) at the end of the frying process. Miss this step and you would have missed out on a major percentage of the flavor profile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(5) Next add the beef broth, tomato paste and bouillon cube. Bring back to a boil. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. The mixture should be thick and look like tomato stew.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(6) Add the parboiled rice and stir to mix with the tomato stew. If needed, add some little water to bring the water to the same level as the rice. Reduce the heat to medium and cover the pot with its lid. Cook for about 25 minutes. Like paella, it is normal for jollof rice to burn a bit at the bottom. Do not be worried if this happens. This slight burn adds to the characteristic jollof rice taste.

TIP NO 6: Do not add too much water when cooking jollof rice. This will lead to soggy grains. Water can be added if needed along the process. Water can however not be reduced when added. The water should just come to the level of the rice and not a millimeter higher.

TIP NO 7: Using a pot with a heavy lid like a dutch oven will help the rice can cook in the steam that generates from the cooking process. If you do not have such a pot, you can cover the top of the rice with some foil paper or thick plastic half way through the cooking process. This will help lock in the steam. This will also eliminate the need for adding more water to the jollof rice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(7) After about 25 minutes of cooking, the rice should be ready with a slight chew to it. Turn off the heat, add the remaining red onions and margarine and stir to combine. Be careful not to stir too much so as not to mash the rice and make it soggy. The grains of jollof rice should stand out and not mash like risotto. The margarine helps coat the rice and gives it a shiny appearance and silky feel. It also adds some flavor to the jollof rice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jollof rice is best served hot. Try it out with some peppered meat. Recipe here.