What’s a party or special occasion without the almighty Jollof rice? Jollof rice is a staple in every Nigerian, Ghanaian, and other West African homes. It is a simple dish of rice cooked in a spicy red sauce made of tomatoes, red bell peppers, habanero pepper, onions, and other spices. It is typically served with a side of salad, fried plantain and fried meat. The great thing about this dish is that it is so easy to make, and you can make it in different ways. So today I’ll share with you one of my many Jollof rice recipes. Let’s get right to it!
Jollof Rice
Servings: 10 people
Ingredients
- 5 Cups of Rice (Long grain)
- 1 Large Can of Tomato Sauce (28 oz)
- 5 Large Red Bell Peppers
- 5-7 Habanero or Scotch bobbet Peppers
- 3 Large Onions
- 4 Large cloves of Garlic
- 1/2 Medium-sized Ginger
- 4 Cups of Chicken Stock (32 oz)
- 2 Cups of Coconut Milk (16 oz)
- 4 Bay Leaves
- 2 Tbsp Curry
- 2 Tbsp Thyme
- 4 Seasoning Cubes
- Salt (to taste)
- 2 Cups of Cooking Oil
Instructions
- Start by washing your rice. Wash and drain until the water runs clear. This reduces the starchiness in the rice and keeps the grains from sticking together
- Soak the rice in Warm water for about 10 minutes. An option is to parboil the rice, but you run the risk overcooking the rice resulting in mushy jollof rice. While the rice is soaking, you can prep the other ingredients.
- Blend your red bell peppers, habanero pepper, 2 onion bulbs, garlic and ginger.
- Heat up your cooking oil in a stainless steel heavy-bottom pot.
- Slice and saute the 3rd Onion in the oil for about 3-5 minutes until fragrant.
- Add in your blended mix to the pot, stir and let simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add in the tomato sauce, bay leaves, Seasoning cubes, Curry, Thyme, and salt. Stir and cover the pot. Let simmer on medium heat for another 10 minutes.
- Add in the Coconut Milk, Chicken Stock and pre-soaked rice. Stir thoroughly to make sure the entire rice is coated with the sauce.
- Cover the pot with foil paper and a heavy lid and cook on LOW HEAT for about 20 minutes till the rice has absorbed all the sauce and is perfectly cooked.
- Once the rice is cooked, gently fluff it out, cover again with the foil and lid and crank up the heat to high heat. for 5-10 minute This will cause the bottom layer of the rice to burn and smoke, resulting in that smoky party rice flavor that we all love. NB- This step is optional. Skip this step if you don’t want the smoky flavor.
- Fluff out the rice one last time. Serve with your favorite sides and ENJOY!*Watch the video for a step by step demonstration.