Jollof Rice Recipe | Diethood

Jollof rice is a standard 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 bound to get up your style buds.

Simple Jollof Rice Recipe

Rice. It’s a staple in cultures all over the world. 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 every single place we went to eat. It serves as a superb, spicy facet to many savory mains and is usually even loved as a meal by itself.

It takes somewhat additional effort than your typical white rice dish may, however it’s value it. You’ll be able to odor 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 wonderfully fluffy, savory, just-spicy-enough rice dish that can transport you to a different continent.

What’s Jollof Rice?

Jollof rice is a standard dish discovered all through West Africa however mostly in Nigeria and Ghana. It consists of long-grained rice cooked in a tomato-based sauce filled with 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 generally, like beef or goat.

Recipe Components

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:

• Crimson onion
• Crimson bell pepper
• Tomato puree
• Roma tomato
• Garlic powder
• Recent thyme
• Scotch bonnet pepper: Take away the seeds except you need an extremely spicy Jollof. You can too use a distinct pepper, comparable to habanero.
• Rooster bouillon granules: These are optionally available, however they are going to add some additional depth.
• Rooster broth
• Nigerian curry powder
• Avocado oil: Or you should use vegetable oil.

To prepare dinner the rice

• Unsalted butter
• Tomato paste
• Parboiled Basmati rice: Parboiled jasmine rice will work right here as properly.
• Rooster 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 learn how to 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 clean.
• Cut back the sauce. Warmth the avocado oil over medium-high warmth in a heavy-bottomed skillet, add the sauce, deliver it to a boil, after which simmer for 10 minutes.

To prepare dinner the rice

• Preheat the oven to 350˚F.

• Prepare dinner the tomato paste. Soften the butter in a saucepan and prepare dinner the tomato paste within the pan till darkish pink, stirring repeatedly.
• Toast the rice. Add the rice to the pan and prepare dinner for two minutes whereas continually 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.

Ideas for Success

Rice may look like a no brainer, however it’s straightforward to get it mistaken. Rice can burn, prove mushy, and do many different less-than-ideal issues. Comply with the following pointers and methods to get the very best jollof rice potential.

• Purchase the right rice. The mistaken 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 properly right here too. Brief-grained rice is starchier and tends to clump collectively. Rice that has not been parboiled will prepare dinner sooner, leaving you with a mushy Jollof.
• Get the rice-to-liquid ratio proper. After decreasing it on the stovetop, the quantity of sauce you might be left with could also be roughly than the urged 2 cups. When you have below two cups of sauce, add extra rooster inventory to finish up with the right 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 examine on the progress of the rice. This can permit steam to flee and can disrupt the cooking course of. So think about the recipe and be affected person.
• Fluff instantly. When the Jollof comes out of the oven, instantly give it a pleasant fluff. If you happen to wait to do that, the rice is extra prone to clump collectively and create a sticky mess.

Variation Concepts

This straightforward Jollof rice serves as a good looking canvas for enjoyable additions comparable 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. You can too add peas to the combo simply earlier than baking for a pop of colour.
• Add meat. Sear a number of items of rooster, beef, or pork, and nestle them on high of the rice earlier than masking and baking. I 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 at liberty to make use of half of a pepper or choose a barely extra gentle pepper, comparable to a jalapeno. Need extra spice? Add a second bonnet pepper (or half of 1). Simply keep in mind that somewhat bit goes a great distance.
• Recent herbs. Toss the Jollof with a little bit of chopped contemporary parsley. It provides colour and a little bit of brightness to the flavour profile. Cilantro can be a sensible choice as properly.

What Goes with Jollof Rice?

This flavorful facet is a staple all through West Africa. It goes properly with hearty meat dishes, soups, stews, salads, and different starchy sides. Listed below are a few of my favourite methods to serve it.

Extra Methods to Prepare dinner Rice

Rice is such a flexible grain. Jollof rice is filled with taste and spice. It definitely is scrumptious but when it isn’t fairly your factor, listed here are a couple of of my different favourite rice dishes.

ENJOY!