Jollof Rice

Nigerian Jollof Rice

Nigerian jollof rice is a deeply flavoured one-pot dish in which long-grain parboiled rice is cooked in a concentrated stew of tomatoes, red bell peppers, scotch bonnets and aromatics until every grain is coated a vivid orange-red. The hallmark is the smoky fond on the bottom of the pot — the party jollof effect — built here by a brief charring step on the stove.

Prep

25 min

Cook

60 min

Total

85 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •900 g (2 lb) ripe roma tomatoes
• •300 g (10½ oz) red bell peppers, tatashe or roma peppers if available
• •2 whole scotch bonnet chillies, keep whole for mild heat, slit for medium, blend for hot
• •200 g (7 oz) red onion, about 2 medium
• •120 ml (½ cup) vegetable oil, palm oil for 30 ml adds authentic colour and flavour
• •2 g (1 tsp) tomato concentrate
• •600 g (3 cups) long-grain parboiled rice, e.g. Golden Sella; basmati not traditional — note in instructions
• •400 ml (1¾ cups) hot water or stock, low-sodium chicken or fish stock
• •10 g (2 tsp) paprika, smoked paprika works well
• •2 g (1 tsp) ground dried thyme
• •2 g (1 tsp) curry powder, mild, Nigerian-style
• •4 g (2 tsp) garlic powder
• •4 g (2 tsp) ground ginger
• •1 g (¼ tsp) grated nutmeg
• •8 g (2 cubes) stock cubes, Maggi or Knorr
• •10 g (2 tsp) fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• •2 whole bay leaves

Steps

1. 1 Roughly chop the tomatoes, red peppers, half of the onions and one scotch bonnet (if you want visible heat in the sauce, slit the second whole scotch bonnet down its length, leaving the stem on). Rinse the chopped vegetables under cold water to remove raw-flavour starches, then drain well.
2. 2 Blend the chopped tomatoes, peppers, onion and the blended scotch bonnet (if using) to a coarse purée. Do not over-blend; some texture helps the sauce cling to the rice.
3. 3 Sieve or pass the purée through a fine mesh to remove seeds and skin — this is the step most home cooks skip, but it is what gives Nigerian jollof its glossy, non-bitter finish.
4. 4 Make the base stew: heat the oil (with the palm oil, if using) in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the remaining finely sliced onion and fry, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes until translucent and just turning golden at the edges.
5. 5 Stir in the tomato concentrate and fry for 1 minute until it darkens to a brick red.
6. 6 Add the paprika, thyme, curry powder, garlic powder, ginger, nutmeg, crumbled stock cubes, salt and bay leaves. Stir for 30 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to burn the spices.
7. 7 Pour in the sieved pepper purée and the slit whole scotch bonnet (if using). Stir well, bring to a vigorous boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sauce has reduced by roughly a third, deepened to a dark burnt-orange colour, and smells cooked-out rather than raw. The oil should be visibly separating at the edges.
8. 8 Meanwhile, wash the rice in three changes of cool water until the water runs almost clear, then drain thoroughly in a sieve. Parboiled rice needs only this quick wash — do not soak it or the grains will turn to mush.
9. 9 Taste the stew; it should be slightly saltier than you think is right, because the rice will absorb seasoning. Adjust with salt or another stock cube.
10. 10 Add the drained rice to the pot and stir for 1 minute so every grain is coated and glistening with the red oil.
11. 11 Pour in the hot stock or water: 320 ml (about 1⅓ cups) for softer, party-style rice, or 400 ml (about 1¾ cups) for slightly looser grains. Stir once, level the surface, and bring back to a boil uncovered.
12. 12 Cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce the heat to the lowest setting your stove allows, and cook undisturbed for 18 minutes. Do not lift the lid during this time.
13. 13 After 18 minutes, remove the lid quickly, fish out the bay leaves and whole scotch bonnet, and use a fork to gently fluff the top layer only — never stir from the bottom, as that is where the pot is forming its prized crust.
14. 14 Test for doneness: a grain bitten in half should be tender all the way through with no chalky core, and any remaining liquid should be fully absorbed. If still underdone, re-cover and cook 3 to 5 minutes more. Internal doneness for the rice is the same as eating — the grains should be soft but distinct.
15. 15 Build the smoky party jollof crust: turn the heat up to medium and let the pot cook uncovered, watching closely, for 90 seconds to 2 minutes until you hear a faint crackling and smell toasted rice. Immediately move the pot off the heat.
16. 16 Leave the lid off (or set it ajar) for 5 minutes to let the residual steam escape, then cover and rest for a further 5 minutes. The crust on the bottom — called konkonte — should lift off in a sheet; scoop it out first if your family fights over it.
17. 17 Spoon the rice onto a warm platter, breaking the bottom crust into shards to scatter over the top. Serve with fried plantain, grilled or fried chicken, peppered fish, or fried beef, and a side of coleslaw or sliced onions in vinegar.