Jollof rice originated from Sierra Leone in West Africa but has become a staple in Nigeria. Since I was a kid, there has always been Jollof rice for parties, Sunday brunch and lunch, and any other special occasion there was. And it’s still the main dish used for parties and celebrations.
Nevertheless, it’s a dish you can whip up anytime you feel like and it doesn’t have to be a special occasion first.
Ingredients
2 cups rice ( long grain or short grain)
1 clove garlic crushed
1 medium onion chopped
1 bulb spring onion chopped
1 teaspoon red ground pepper
225g fresh tomatoes blended
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 cup olive oil or any other vegetable oil
1 chicken or beef seasoning cube
250 ml chicken or beef stock
Method of Preparation
• Wash and parboil the rice in a saucepan or a medium sized cooking pot and leave to stand in a perforated bowl to allow excess water drain off.
• In the same saucepan or medium pot, pour the olive oil or other cooking oil and heat. Then, add the garlic and fry gently to extract the flavor. Add chopped onion together with the spring onion, pepper, tomato purée, fresh tomatoes, curry and thyme and stir the sauce over low to medium heat for 5-10 minutes.
• Then add the rice to the tomato sauce and stir until the grains of rice are covered thickly in tomato. Add the stock and if needed a little extra water. Adding too much water should be avoided so that the Jollof rice doesn’t turn out mushy.
• Add the seasoning cube and salt to taste. Let the rice cook on medium heat for 45 minutes. If the rice is burning too fast, lower the heat to the barest minimum to avoid the bottom getting burnt and the rice still undercooked.
• When the Stock or water is completely dry, using a wooden spoon, turn the rice properly to ensure the rice is completely covered in the tomato sauce. At this stage, the rice should be a vibrant red in color and the grains should be soft and stick just a little together. Then it’s ready.
• Serve hot or warm with fried or roasted chicken, sautéed fish or stake cutlets. You can also add a green salad with it.
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