Jollof Rice
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup oil vegetable, canola, coconut (not olive oil!)
- 6 fresh plum Roma tomatoes medium-sized, chopped (or 400g/ 14oz tin of tomatoes)
- 6 fresh red poblano peppers or 4 large bell peppers (deseeded)
- 3 red onions medium-sized, 1 chopped finely, 2 roughly chopped
- 1/2 to 1 hot peppers (yellow scotch bonnets) to taste
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp curry powder Caribbean/ Jamaican style
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 5 to 6 cups vegetable stock or chicken/beef/water
- 2 tsp unsalted butter
- 4 cups converted long-grain rice (or golden sella basmati), uncooked, rinsed
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- white pepper to taste
- onions sliced
- tomatoes sliced
Instructions
- In a food processor, add the Roma tomatoes, red poblano peppers, chopped onion and Scotch bonnets with 2 cups of stock and blend everything to a pulp for 1-2 minutes. You will get about 6 cups of resulting mixture.
- Pour the blended mixture in a large pan and place it over medium heat and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low, cover and let it cook gently for 10-12 minutes or so. Stir every so often to avoid burning.
- In a separate pan, add the oil, sliced onions and a pinch of salt and sauté for a few minutes until translucent.
- Next, add the spices: bay leaves, curry powder, thyme, black pepper and fry everything for around 3-4 minutes on medium heat.
- Add the tomato paste and stir for another 2 minutes.
- Next, add in the reduced tomato-pepper-Scotch bonnet mixture, stir well. Place a lid on the pot and leave on medium heat for 10-12 minutes until the mixture reduces by half.
- Once reduced, add the tomato paste, and 4 cups of stock and boil for a couple of minutes( You want the water amount to be about the same as the amount of rice so we won't overcook the rice). Then add in the rice and 1 teaspoon butter and stir well.
- Turn the heat down to minimum and cover the pan with a piece of tinfoil or parchment paper then place a lid on. The tinfoil will seal the steam inside and give you a more intensely flavored rice. Cook the rice for 30 minutes, until softened.
- After half an hour, check the rice is cooked and taste it. Adjust seasoning as necessary and take off the heat. You can add some fresh sliced onions and tomatoes as well as another teaspoon of butter and stir well.
- You can make Party Rice as well. Usually Party Rice is essentially Smoky Jollof Rice, traditionally cooked over an open fire. To prepare it over the stove, simply turn up the heat once the rice is done cooking (make sure to leave the lid on).
- Leave the rice to “burn” for 3 to 5 minutes. You’ll hear the rice crackle and snap, and it will smell toasted. Then, turn off the heat and let the rice rest with the lid on until it's time to serve. The longer the lid stays on, the smokier the rice will be.
- Enjoy alongside your favourite protein and/or salad!
Notes
Keep in mind that if you're using parboiled rice, once the water evaporates completely, the rice is ready. There is no need to add water as this can also make it clump together.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!