Jollof rice which is
also known as party jollof rice is a Nigerian dish which is very popular in
Nigeria. The dish is a very big party favourite with a lot of people just like
Nigerian fried rice. This is a meal that is highly recommended for those of you
who have not yet tasted any Nigerian dish.
This dish is very easy to make and as long as you follow the
instructions listed on this page you are guaranteed never to go wrong.
I have to say that this could turn out to be very
challenging to newbies but no stress because on this page yo will find all the
tips and tricks you need to make the best Jollof Rice. I hope you find the
article useful so here goes.
- 2 cups of precooked rice (preferably long grain rice)
- 5 tablespoons of tomato paste (extremely important)
- 4 big ripe Tomatoes
- 1 Red Bell Pepper (AKA TATASHE)
- 2 scotch bonnet Pepper / Atarodo
- 100 mls of vegetable oil
- 600mls chicken stock or meat
- 1 small sliced onion
- 1 Tablespoon ground crayfish (optional)
- Half a teaspoon each of curry and thyme
- 2 bay leaves small (optional)
- 1 teaspoon of salt to taste
- 1 cube stock
- Enough water just as needed
Cooking Instructions for Jollof Rice
(Before you start cooking the Jollof Rice)
Precook the rice and leave it aside.
Precooking the rice helps to induce the cooking process
which gets rid of excess starch on the rice which make the rice clump together.
Cook and then fry / grill your meat (turkey/chicken/beef)
and put aside the stock or broth.
Now comes the part where we cook the jollof rice.
Firstly prepare a small sauce or stew.
This is done by blending the peppers and the fresh tomatoes
together, then drain and dry out excess liquid by boiling the pot for a few
minutes. But if you already have the tomatoe stew you can skip this process.
Now place a pot on the stove and add some oil plus chopped
onions then fry a bit and add the pepper and blended tomatoes mix. Fry for at least
10 minutes then add in the tomatoe puree.
Cook this mixture until you see that the tomatoe loses its
sour taste and the oil beginsto rise to the top.
TIP: Using the concentrated tomato puree is important if you
want that deep reddish color and the taste of the party jollof rice.
At this point take out about quarter of the stew and put it
aside for use later.
Add the chicken stock or meat into the pot and leave it to
boil on high heat for 5 to 10 minutes. Then add in the curry thyme stock cubes
and salt to taste. You can also add any
other seasoning of your choice and boil for atleast 5 minutes.
TIP: This is a very important step in cooking Jollof rice.
If the stock is not hot enough before you add in the precooked rice, the rice
will soak in the cold water, will become saggy and get burnt before its done.Now
that would be frustrating.
Next add in the rice & mix thouroughly. The Liquid
should be at the same level as the rice inside the pot. Add in more water if
the chicken stock or meat is not enough.
Cover the mixture and and cook it on low to medium heat.
If you put on high heat the rice will burn before it is
cooked.
If you hve the bay leaves drop them in to the rice just
before covering the pot.
Now when the liquid is almost dried up add in the grounded
crayfish and all that other remaining stew on to the top (do not touch the rice
at this point) cover and simmer until the remaining liquid dries up then mix
thouroughly and voila your savoury Nigerian Jollof Rice is ready.
Tip: If you want the party style Jollof rice that has that
smoky flavor thaen go one step further and leave the rice to burn just a little
bit at the bottom. If you are using firewood the better but if using a pot make
sure it’s a non stick pot.
Now serve and enjoy your jollof rice sith fried/grilled
beef, chicken, fish, veggies and prawns or the usual chicken stew.
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