This recipe for Jollof Rice is adapted from Eleanor’s Dish, and it was recommended to me by my friend Donna. Following on from last week’s recipe post, the Jollof rice goes very well with the Jollof stew! Although there are similar ingredients in the stew and sauce, they still go well together. Both Jollof rice and Jollof stew are popular and traditional foods in Nigeria. However, the authentic version is a lot spicier than this version so watch out for those Scotch bonnet (or habanero) chilies!
One tip I would suggest is to use parboiled or “easy cook” rice for this recipe, otherwise it will take a lot longer to cook. Also, I think that the blended crayfish adds an interesting and contrasting flavour. It is fishy though so leave it out if you don’t like the taste of fish or shellfish. Lastly, for any vegetarians who would like to make this rice. It is easy to modify the recipe and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, and leave out the crayfish.
Ingredients
4 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp butter
3-4 red onions, chopped
1 6 oz can Tomato paste
4 large fresh tomatoes, peeled and diced or 1 400g tin plain chopped tomatoes
2 red bell peppers, chopped
blended crayfish (optional)
4 Habanero / scotch bonnet peppers, to taste (I used 2)
4 1/2 cups of long-grain parboiled rice
2 cups of chicken stock
Ingredients for Spices
1 Knorr vegetable or chicken cube
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp white pepper
3 Bay leaves
1/2 Tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp garlic or onion powder
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp thyme leaves
Salt to taste
Instructions
Heat about 4 tablespoons of oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat and add 1/2 cup of the chopped red onions. Allow the onions to fry until the redness starts to slightly fade. Next, pour in the tomato paste and let it fry with the onions. Stir the paste continuously to avoid burning. Do this for about 10 mins, or until the paste fully fries in the oil. Add in crayfish for an extra tasty flavor.
In a food processor or with a hand blender, blend the tomatoes, remaining onions, habanero peppers, and red bell peppers together until you achieve a smooth consistency.
Pour the blended mixture into the pot and fry it together with the tomato paste. Add all your spices except for the salt, and mix. Cover the pot and allow the tomato to fry in the oil. Add more oil if necessary. Simmer for about 20-30 mins. Be sure to stir the mixture often to avoid burning.
While the tomato is frying, wash your long grain parboiled rice. Wash the rice until the water becomes very clear.
Once the tomato is done frying, add your chicken stock to the mix and taste to see if it requires any salt. Add salt if necessary and mix.
Now add in your washed rice and another cup of water. Then mix together with the fried tomatoes. Turn down the heat to the lowest on your burner and cover the pot. Allow the rice to cook for about 30 minutes.
Open the pot and properly combine all the ingredients together. Cover the pot again, and let it cook for an additional 10 minutes or until the rice has fully blended in with the mixture and cooked through.
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