Jollof rice is a conventional West African dish of long-grained rice cooked in an intensely flavored sauce with blended tomato, bell pepper, Scotch bonnet pepper, heat spices, and extra. This savory, spicy facet is certain to get up your style buds.
Straightforward Jollof Rice Recipe
Rice. It’s a staple in cultures world wide. It’s a superbly versatile starch that may be dressed up or down in seemingly infinite methods. In West Africa, they’ve created one thing particular. Jollof rice might be discovered just about anyplace you flip. I used to be in Morocco final month, and I ordered it nearly in all places we went to eat. It serves as a wonderful, spicy facet to many savory mains and is usually even loved as a meal by itself.
It takes just a little additional effort than your typical white rice dish may, however it’s value it. You possibly can scent the heat of a Nigerian spice mix as you simmer the wealthy, spicy, tomato-based sauce that serves because the cooking liquid for this flavorful rice dish. Pop all of it within the oven and let the magic occur. The top product is a superbly fluffy, savory, just-spicy-enough rice dish that may transport you to a different continent.
What’s Jollof Rice?
Jollof rice is a conventional dish discovered all through West Africa however mostly in Nigeria and Ghana. It consists of long-grained rice cooked in a tomato-based sauce full of heat spices. It has a kick because of the addition of a Scotch bonnet pepper. Jollof rice is normally served as a facet dish, usually subsequent to hearty meat stews, however it additionally has protein added to it typically, like beef or goat.
Recipe Elements
So many spices and large flavors! Right here’s an inventory of what you have to to make jollof rice.
For the Nigerian curry powder:
- Floor coriander
- Floor turmeric
- Floor ginger
- Floor cayenne pepper
- Floor cumin
- Floor black pepper
- Floor nutmeg
- Floor mustard powder
- Floor cloves
For the sauce:
- Purple onion
- Purple bell pepper
- Tomato puree
- Roma tomato
- Garlic powder
- Recent thyme
- Scotch bonnet pepper: Take away the seeds except you need an extremely spicy Jollof. It’s also possible to use a unique pepper, similar to habanero.
- Hen bouillon granules: These are non-compulsory, however they are going to add some additional depth.
- Hen broth
- Nigerian curry powder
- Avocado oil: Or you should utilize vegetable oil.
To cook dinner the rice
- Unsalted butter
- Tomato paste
- Parboiled Basmati rice: Parboiled jasmine rice will work right here as effectively.
- Hen Broth
- Bay leaves
- Sea salt
How you can Make Jollof Rice
I get pleasure from making this flavorful rice dish and love that the sauce is used as a part of the cooking liquid. Right here’s a fast rundown of how one can make Ghana jollof rice. Keep in mind to scroll to the recipe under for extra detailed directions.
For the sauce
- Whisk collectively the spices for the Nigerian spice mix.
- In a meals processor or blender, mix the pink onion, pink bell pepper, tomato puree, Roma tomato, garlic powder, thyme, Scotch bonnet, rooster bouillon granules, rooster broth, and Nigerian curry powder till easy.
- Cut back the sauce. Warmth the avocado oil over medium-high warmth in a heavy-bottomed skillet, add the sauce, convey it to a boil, after which simmer for 10 minutes.
To cook dinner the rice
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
- Cook dinner the tomato paste. Soften the butter in a saucepan and cook dinner the tomato paste within the pan till darkish pink, stirring repeatedly.
- Toast the rice. Add the rice to the pan and cook dinner for two minutes whereas continuously stirring.
- Add the sauce, rooster inventory, bay leaves, and sea salt. Stir to mix.
- Bake: Cowl with a lid and bake for half-hour.
- Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.
Suggestions for Success
Rice may seem to be a no brainer, however it’s straightforward to get it flawed. Rice can burn, end up mushy, and do many different less-than-ideal issues. Observe the following tips and methods to get one of the best jollof rice doable.
- Purchase the correct rice. The flawed rice can throw off this recipe. Choose long-grained, parboiled rice. That is the one I used 👉 https://amzn.to/3l0Pdck. Basmati is my favourite, however jasmine rice will do effectively right here too. Brief-grained rice is starchier and tends to clump collectively. Rice that has not been parboiled will cook dinner sooner, leaving you with a mushy Jollof.
- Get the rice-to-liquid ratio proper. After lowering it on the stovetop, the quantity of sauce you might be left with could also be roughly than the steered 2 cups. When you have underneath two cups of sauce, add extra rooster inventory to finish up with the correct quantity of liquid. When you have additional sauce, discard it or get pleasure from it with crusty bread. Don’t add it to the recipe.
- No peeking. Whereas the rice is cooking within the oven, it’s essential to not open the lid to verify on the progress of the rice. This can permit steam to flee and can disrupt the cooking course of. So place confidence in the recipe and be affected person.
- Fluff instantly. When the Jollof comes out of the oven, instantly give it a pleasant fluff. Should you wait to do that, the rice is extra prone to clump collectively and create a sticky mess.
Variation Concepts
This easy Jollof rice serves as a fantastic canvas for enjoyable additions similar to veggies and meats. Make it your individual with a number of of those thrilling variations.
- Add veggies. Earlier than including the tomato paste, saute onions, bell pepper, and/or carrots; take away them from the pot earlier than including the tomato paste and add them again in earlier than baking. It’s also possible to add peas to the combination simply earlier than baking for a pop of coloration.
- Add meat. Sear a number of items of rooster, beef, or pork, and nestle them on high of the rice earlier than overlaying and baking. I really like utilizing bone-in, skin-on rooster thighs.
- Kind of spice. Jollof might be fairly spicy because of the addition of the bonnet pepper. Be happy to make use of half of a pepper or choose a barely extra gentle pepper, similar to a jalapeno. Need extra spice? Add a second bonnet pepper (or half of 1). Simply do not forget that just a little bit goes a good distance.
- Recent herbs. Toss the Jollof with a little bit of chopped recent parsley. It provides coloration and a little bit of brightness to the flavour profile. Cilantro could be a good selection as effectively.
What Goes with Jollof Rice?
This flavorful facet is a staple all through West Africa. It goes effectively with hearty meat dishes, soups, stews, salads, and different starchy sides. Listed here are a few of my favourite methods to serve it.
Extra Methods to Cook dinner Rice
Rice is such a flexible grain. Jollof rice is filled with taste and spice. It actually is scrumptious but when it isn’t fairly your factor, listed here are just a few of my different favourite rice dishes.
ENJOY!
For the Nigerian Curry Powder
For the Nigerian Curry Powder
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Whisk collectively the bottom coriander, floor turmeric, floor ginger, floor cayenne pepper, floor cumin, floor black pepper, floor nutmeg, floor mustard powder, and floor cloves. Put aside.
For the Sauce
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Add the onion, pink bell pepper, tomato puree, Roma tomato, garlic powder, thyme, Scotch bonnet, rooster bouillon granules, rooster broth, and Nigerian curry powder to a blender; mix till easy. It’s best to have about 3 cups of sauce.
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Warmth the avocado oil over medium-high warmth in a heavy-bottomed skillet.
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Add the sauce to the skillet and produce it to a boil.
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Cut back the warmth to low and simmer for about 10 minutes. The sauce ought to cut back by about 1/3, leaving you with 2 cups of liquid. When you have extra, discard the extras or put it aside as a dip for crusty bread.
To Cook dinner the Rice
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Preheat the oven to 350˚F. In case your oven has a convection setting, use it.
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Soften the butter in a big oven-safe pot or pan set over medium warmth. Add the tomato paste and stir for about 2 minutes or till darkish pink.
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Add the rice to the pan. Stir for about 2 minutes to toast the rice.
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Add the beforehand ready sauce and stir to mix.
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Add rooster broth, bay leaves, and sea salt. Stir to mix.
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Cowl with a lid and bake for half-hour.
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Take away from oven and instantly fluff the rice with a fork.
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Serve.
- Parboiled Basmati Rice, also called transformed rice, is {a partially} cooked rice widespread in African and Asian cuisines. I nearly all the time get mine on Amazon.
- Rice to Liquid Ratio: After lowering the sauce, the quantity of sauce you might be left with could also be roughly than the steered 2 cups. When you have underneath two cups of sauce, add extra rooster broth to get the correct quantity of liquid. Moreover, cook dinner the rice till it’s comfortable and tender however not mushy. You additionally don’t wish to overcook the rice, or it’ll develop into dry and crunchy.
- Add-ins: Earlier than cooking the tomato paste, sauté chopped onions and bell peppers till tender and take away them from the pot. When able to bake, stir the onions and peppers into the rice and bake. It’s also possible to sear some rooster items, beef, or pork and nestle them on high of the rice earlier than overlaying and baking.
- Storing: This recipe makes a fairly large batch of Jollof. Cool the rice to room temperature if in case you have leftovers, then switch it to an hermetic container. Cowl and retailer the container within the fridge for as much as 4 days. To reheat, warmth some oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet and add the rice, stirring till heated by way of. If the rice is dry, add a splash of water or rooster broth.
Serving: 1 cup | Energy: 222 kcal | Carbohydrates: 43 g | Protein: 5 g | Fats: 3 g | Saturated Fats: 1 g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 0.5 g | Monounsaturated Fats: 2 g | Trans Fats: 0.04 g | Ldl cholesterol: 3 mg | Sodium: 359 mg | Potassium: 269 mg | Fiber: 2 g | Sugar: 2 g | Vitamin A: 548 IU | Vitamin C: 17 mg | Calcium: 34 mg | Iron: 2 mg | Internet Carbs: 41 g
Dietary data is an estimate and offered as courtesy. Values might range in response to the elements and instruments used. Please use your most well-liked dietary calculator for extra detailed data.
