This Nigerian jollof rice, popularly known as party jollof rice, is a well-known one-pot dish, laced with tomatoes and peppers, with a crispy layer on the bottom.
Nigerian jollof rice is a one-pot dish of tomato and pepper-infused rice with a layer of crispy rice at the bottom. The kind of rice usually gets ready in 30 minutes! Waawu!
In this article, we will explain the best Nigerian party jollof rice recipe, its ingredients, and how to prepare it within 30 minutes.
Let’s hit the ground running!
Note: The procedure in this article is my tested recipe.
Ingredients
For The Stew Base
- 2 red bell peppers, diced
- 2 Roma tomatoes, quartered
- 1-3 habanero peppers, diced, adjusted to taste
- ½ red onion
For The Jollof Rice
- â…“ cup vegetable oil
- ½ onion, diced
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste; for the color, you can make it without
- 2 bouillon cubes; make sure to buy a vegan version!
- ½ teaspoon thyme; substitute thyme powder as needed
- 1 teaspoon salt; add more to taste as needed
- 2 cups long grain rice; wash and drain to get rid of excess starch
- 1 ¾ cups stock
What is Jollof Rice?
Jollof rice is a red pepper rice from West Africa that is similar to dirty rice in the south. As Portuguese trading ports were established in the Senegal River Delta, tomatoes made their way to West Africa. This recipe originates from the Wollof tribe of Senegal.
It is widely assumed that a lack of barley prompted a local cook to substitute rice, giving rise to modern-day jollof rice (Benachin, also known as one pot).
One school of thought holds that jollof rice had an impact on the American South when West African slaves from rice-growing regions introduced the “red rice” concept.
Jollof rice is thought to have influenced modern cuisines such as jambalaya and gumbo. So, this recipe explains the relationship between West African cuisine and modern-day Southern “red” cuisine.
What rice is best for jollof?
This is a heated debate! The most popular choices are long-grain rice, basmati rice and Thai jasmine rice.
Bulgur is becoming increasingly popular as a healthy alternative. Traditional long-grain rice retains its consistency the best but I prefer basmati because it cooks somewhat softer. Thai jasmine is ideal for use in the oven.
How to Make the Best Nigerian Jollof Rice
The basic sauce is made by blending roughly chopped red peppers, fresh tomatoes, onions, and habanero peppers. I use this sauce immediately to create jollof.
Before creating the Nigerian pepper sauce, if you have the time, you can parboil the base to get rid of excess water and improve the flavor.
You can prepare a large quantity and keep it on hand virtually all the time. If you use this method, use around 200 ml (80% of a cup) for every two cups of rice.
Sauté the onions and bay leaves, then add the base sauce and sauté. Use a deep, broad pan with a tightly fitting lid.
Add roughly â…“ cup of vegetable oil (this may seem excessive, but you’ll be frying off the sauce).
Add the chopped onions and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then, add the bay leaves and thyme, and cook for a minute.
Now, add the tomato paste, tomato base, and bouillon to the sauce and cook it. Curry powder can be used at this point if desired.
But the trick is to properly fry the base sauce with the onions and spices.
While the sauce cooks, carefully rinse your rice. One of the most common causes of mushy jollof is improper rice rinsing!
So thoroughly rinse the rice under cold water (usually three times until the water runs clean).
For 2 cups of rice, use 1 and ¾ cups of broth in the pepper sauce. Add salt and, if desired, black or white pepper to taste.
I use veggie broth, but you could use chicken or any other stock you have. The soup normally contains some salt, so be careful how much you use.
Cover the lid, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Typically, this takes 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the rinsed rice to the pot and stir until evenly spread. Cover with a tightly fitted lid and cook for at least 12 minutes.
Once the rice has been rinsed, add it to the pot and stir well to ensure it is uniformly distributed. Cover with the tight-fitting lid and cook for at least 12 minutes.
Check at the 12-minute mark to see how fluffy your rice is, and give it another thorough mix. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until the rice is well cooked.
Turn off the heat, open the lid, and allow the steam to escape for a few minutes. Serve hot.
How do you change the spice level?
The pepper sauce is the foundation of each Jollof rice dish. However, everyone has a different spice palette.
Once the rice has been rinsed, add it to the pot and stir well to ensure it is uniformly distributed. Cover with the tight-fitting lid and cook for at least 12 minutes.
Check at the 12-minute mark to see how fluffy your rice is, and give it another thorough mix. Cook for another 2–3 minutes, or until the rice is well cooked.
Turn off the heat, open the lid, and allow the steam to escape for a few minutes. Serve hot.
How do you change the spice level?
The pepper sauce is the foundation of each Jollof rice dish. However, everyone has a different spice palette.
FAQs
How can I cook jollof rice without burning it?
If your rice begins to burn after 10 minutes (i.e., it’s raw and not cooked, but there’s no water left), pour in a small bit of boiling water, cover the pot with aluminum foil, turn the heat up to high for a minute, then take it off the burner.
The remaining heat will cook the rice without burning it further. I recommend using around â…“ cup of water for every 2 cups of rice. Cover it for 10 to 15 minutes and check again.
How do I create party jollof rice with a smoky flavor?
Party rice has a smokey flavor and is burned at the bottom, resulting in crispy rice.
Why is my Nigerian jollof rice so mushy? How can I save sticky jollof rice?
Always rinse the rice first to remove the excess starch. When you steam cook, as you do with this dish, the excess starch can overcook and turn the rice mushy.
If your rice is already mushy or sticky, remove it from the heat immediately. This pauses the cooking process.
Then, drain the excess water and transfer the cooked rice to a flat dish (such as a baking sheet).
Allow it to cool for approximately 30 minutes at room temperature. Finally, wipe excess water with a paper towel before placing the baking sheet in the oven for 10 minutes at 350°F. Mushy jollof rice was recovered.
Conclusion
Nigerians typically prepare jollof with long-grain rice (rather than aromatic rice such as basmati).
However, I’ve discovered that basmati rice works well as a substitute because it is designed for “infusion” cooking.
Plus, I couldn’t resist incorporating some of my ancestry into this blend!
It’s simple to tailor this dish to your preferences: if you want it more spicy, add another habanero pepper; if you want it less spicy, leave it out entirely.
Every person’s spice palette is unique, however, if your spicy tolerance is limited, I’d recommend starting low and gradually increasing the peppers, rather than the opposite.
