Authentic Nigerian Jollof Rice

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: African, Nigerian

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 40

Total Time: 50

Servings: servings

Calories: 392kcal

Author: Jazzmine Woodard

Fluffy, fragrant, and fiery traditional West African rice dish simmered in a tomato broth all cooked in one pot

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Equipment

1 knife
1 cutting board
1 Blender
1 8 quart pot
1 wooden kitchen spoon

Ingredients

7 roma tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
½ white onion
4 habanero or scotch bonnet peppers use fewer or more depending on your heat preference
½ cup water
8 cups parboiled rice
¼-1/3 cup oil like palm oil, olive oil or avocado oil
8 ounces tomato sauce
4-6 ounces tomato paste
4 maggi cubes crushed into powder
3 cups chicken and or beef stock
2 teaspoons powdered white pepper
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 bay leaf or one teaspoon powdered bay leaf
1 teaspoon powdered thyme
sea salt to taste

Instructions

Cut tomatoes, onion, and red bell pepper into chunks, discarding bell pepper seeds. Add all to a blender with scotch bonnet pepper and ½ cup of water then blend until completely liquified and uniform (about 2 minutes).
Meanwhile, rinse the parboiled rice in plenty of warm water until water starts to run clear then drain.
Add rice and oil to a large pot over medium flame, followed by blended tomato mixture, tomato paste and sauce, chicken and beef stocks, crushed maggi cubes, white pepper, curry powder, bay leaf, and thyme. Stir everything together until uniform.
Cook for about 40 minutes or until rice is fluffy and cooked through and all liquid has dissipated, stirring (to help prevent sticking and burning) and taste-testing the liquid and rice as you go. See notes.
It may be necessary to add more liquid along the way to prevent the rice at the bottom from burning excessively (see recipe notes). The bottom layer of rice in a pot of jollof rice often burns, which is where the smoky flavor comes from. Some believe that the rice tastes best when this happens. As you stir the rice and expose any burnt portions, you can simply discard them if you don't want them in the rice.

Video

Notes

Preparation

You can cook jollof rice at home up to three days in advance, as long as it's stored properly.

Rinsing the rice helps to remove excess starch, which can make the rice sticky and gummy instead of fluffy and can also extend the cooking time.

Jollof rice burns quickly so it is best to use plenty of oil or a non-stick pot and cook over medium heat.

Troubleshooting

Spice measurements are to taste, which is why tasting as you go is so important.

Why is my jollof rice burning? Many people believe that jollof tastes best when a bit of it burns as this imparts a smoky flavor. But if your rice starts burning excessively or very early on in the cooking process, reduce the heat slightly and add more broth, water or oil. When finished cooking, you can simply discard the burnt pieces.

As the rice cooks and liquid dissipates, you may find it necessary to add additional ingredients according to your preference:

More oil for moisture
More stock or bouillon for flavor
More tomato paste or sauce for color
Sea salt to your taste

Storage

To store, place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to five days.

Cool the rice to room temperature then transfer to freezer safe containers or zip-top freezer bags and place in the freezer. Jollof rice will keep for up to six months in the freezer.

Nutrition