Authentic Nigerian Jollof Rice
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 392kcal
Fluffy, fragrant, and fiery traditional West African rice dish simmered in a tomato broth all cooked in one pot
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Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ white onion
- 7 roma tomatoes
- 1 red bell pepper
- 4 habanero or scotch bonnet peppers use fewer or more depending on your heat preference (See notes.)
- 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).½ white onion, 7 roma tomatoes, 1 red bell pepper, 4 habanero or scotch bonnet peppers, ½ cup water
- Meanwhile, rinse the parboiled rice in plenty of warm water until water starts to run clear then drain.8 cups parboiled rice
- 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, salt, and thyme. Stir everything together until uniform.¼-1/3 cup oil, 8 ounces tomato sauce, 4-6 ounces tomato paste, 4 maggi cubes, 3 cups chicken and or beef stock, 2 teaspoons powdered white pepper, 2 teaspoons curry powder, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon powdered thyme, sea salt
- 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.
Scotch bonnet peppers are nearly 100 times hotter than jalapeños (between 100,000 and 350,000 SHU on the Scoville scale), so just one or two will give you spicy rice. If you are daring, use three, and if you are one of my family members, you'll probably love four!
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
Nutrition
Calories: 392kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 0.1mg | Sodium: 457mg | Potassium: 341mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 435IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg