How To Prepare Tasty Jollof Rice

How to prepare and cook Jollof Rice is simple to understand, like Fried Rice is one of those dishes in the hall of fame. It is a popular party favourite in Nigeria and most West African countries.

It has a basic simple method and the ingredients are easy to find. For Nigerians, no wedding, funeral, birthday party is complete without it…and certainly not Christmas.

It is almost always served with chunks of fried or grilled beef and chicken, moin-moin (bean pudding), dodo (fried plantain) and maybe coleslaw. It is a very flexible dish that you can experiment with by adding your own signature ingredients.

It can be compared to other well loved national rich dishes such as paella (Spain), jambalaya (Creole) and biryani (India). Combining rice, vegetables, fish, meat and spices, the dish is normally slow cooked to allow the flavours to develop and the meats to become tender, and it is definitely worth the wait.

JOLLOF RICE AND AFRICAN FLAVOUR

Jollof has a distinctly African flavour, due to the common use of coconut oil, fresh red chilli pepper and spices such as guinea pepper, thyme, garlic, paprika and black pepper. And once cooked, besides the heady savoury aroma, the rich orange tinge makes it all the more appealing.

Jollof rice is believed to have originated from Senegal and Gambia and is referred to as “benanchin”, meaning “one pot” in the Wolof language.

However, it has since spread to the whole of West Africa and each country has its own way of preparing it; for example, Nigerian Jollof will vary slightly from Ghanaian Jollof – even within Nigeria, a member of the Igbo ethnic group will prepare it differently than the Yorubas.

It is enjoyed not only at celebrations but at home on a regular basis. It can be eaten alone, but is often accompanied by salad or moinmoin, a steamed bean pudding also popular with Nigerians.

Here are the ingredients you will need for basic Jollof rice (you can add your choice of meat or fish as desired).

INGREDIENTS

Palm Oil / Vegetable Oil
Onion
Rice (Usually America long grain)
Meat or vegetable broth
Chopped tomatoes
Tomato purée
Red bell pepper, chopped
Green chilli pepper
Cayenne or chilli pepper powder,
Paprika
Fresh thyme or dried powder
Ground black pepper
Curry powder
Garlic powder (or, 2 cloves of fresh garlic)
Salt

QUANTITIES

2 Teaspoons
1 Large and finely chopped
2 Cups
3 Cups
1 Tin
2 Tablespoons
According to personal taste
According to personal taste
According to personal taste
½ Teaspoon
1 Sprig or 1 teaspoon
½ Teaspoon
1 Teaspoon
½ Teaspoon
According to personal taste

First fry your onions and bell pepper in your coconut oil until almost cooked and then add the garlic, tomatoes, tomato purée and the rest of the seasoning.

Next, add your rice, followed by the broth, stir well and bring to boil. Once the mixture has begun to boil, reduce heat and leave to simmer until the rice is cooked and has absorbed all of the broth.

Serve and enjoy!

Written by Gina Lisa Pate