Make Nigerian Style Jollof Rice

Jollof rice is a spicy, traditional dish of West African origin. While it is prepared differently in various countries, this article outlines the steps of making Nigerian-style Jollof rice.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of rice
  • 1 onion
  • 1 red bell pepper / tatashe
  • 500ml chopped tomatoes
  • 100g tomato purée
  • 2 scotch bonnet
  • 100ml vegetable oil
  • Maggi
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 teaspoon curry
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger
  • 2 cups water or stock

Steps

  1. Blend your tomatoes, scotch bonnet and tatashe together. Chop your onions and keep them aside.
  2. Put your rice into a bowl and soak with hot water. Allow this to soak for 10-15 minutes. Then, wash with warm water and keep aside, or parboil your rice and wash. This is important as you will get rid of excess starch in the rice.
  3. Put your oil in a pot and allow it to heat up.
  4. Add your chopped onions and allow to fry, but be sure not to burn them.
  5. Add your blended ingredients and purée and allow to fry, just until you get rid of the sour taste (about 10-15 minutes).
  6. Add your maggi, garlic, ginger, curry, thyme and salt and mix together. Be careful with your maggi as you do not want it too salty (2 maggi cubes for a cup of rice). Add your stock or water, and mix too. Taste to adjust to any seasoning.
  7. Pour your rice into the pot and mix together, making sure it is covered in the tomato sauce.
  8. Cook on low medium heat. Check your rice after at least 10 minutes, using a wooden spatula to dip into the rice. This helps with getting the sauce to get the bottom of the pot, so that it does not start burning when the rice is not cooked.
  9. Cook until soft. Do not overcook your rice or get your rice too soggy. When rice is soft, lower the heat and allow to simmer so the water will get completely dry.
  10. Rice is ready to serve. Serve with fried plantain and your choice of meat, if desired.



Tips

  • Jollof rice is typically served with meat, chicken, fish or fried plantain.
  • Meat or chicken stock can be used instead of Maggi cubes.
  • To see how the dish is authentically cooked, a good resource are online videos where you can watch Nigerian women cooking it.
  • To give it a more refreshing look and nice taste, a little ground nut oil or olive oil can be added.

Warnings

  • Use caution not to overcook the rice.

Things You'll Need

  • A large pot with a lid, preferably non-stick
  • A blender, or a mortar and a pestle, or a big rock and a flat surface
  • A large spoon
  • A cooker

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Sources and Citations

  • Source of major rewrite & revision: www.thelmzkitchen.co.uk

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