Nigerian Jollof Rice is undoubtedly the most popular rice dish. There is no tribe or social status prejudice when it comes to jollof rice.
The food is the first reason I appreciate attending Nigerian gatherings. Music and dancing would have to take second place. It’s simply a lot of fun!
Nigerian Jollof Rice, also known as Jellof Rice, is a hearty and delicious West African one-pot meal. It’s a diverse cuisine that’s typically cooked from scratch with rice, pimento peppers, tomatoes, tomato paste, onions, Scotch bonnet, salt, and other spices.
The most incredible fact is that jollof rice did not originate in Nigeria. Its origins are in Senegal, but for unknown reasons, Nigerians embraced and developed the cuisine throughout time.
It is widely assumed that a scarcity of barley caused a local cook to replace rice, and so modern-day jollof rice was created (called Benachin, aka, one pot). The presence of jollof rice, based to one mode of thought, also noticed in the American South, where West African slaves from rice-growing regions taught the ideas of “red rice.” Modern cuisines such as jambalaya and gumbo are considered to have been influenced by jollof rice!
There are numerous sorts of Nigerian jollof rice food—vegan, smokey, and so on—but Party Jollof Rice is the most popular. Don’t be misled into thinking that every rice Jollof is the same.
How to Make Nigerian Jollof Rice: A Recipe
Jollof rice is a popular West African cuisine that may be found in Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Senegal, Gambia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, and Liberia. All of these West African countries, meanwhile, have their own versions of this dish.
Step-by-step instructions for making Nigerian Jollof Rice
Ingredients
– 2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped (about 5 ounces each).
– 1/2 medium Scotch bonnet peppers (or habanero peppers), trimmed
– 3 tiny red bell peppers, chopped (about 5 ounces each).
– VEGAN OIL 1/2 CUP
-1/2 medium onions, finely chopped.
–1 ½ teaspoons salt
– 1 teaspoon curry powder
-2 bay leaves
-1 tbsp of onion powder plus 1 tsp of cumin powder
-1 ½ teaspoon hot ground chile pepper, such as African dried chile or cayenne
-½ teaspoons garlic powder
-1½ teaspoon ginger powder
-1 teaspoon dried thyme
-2½ cups of medium-grain rice
Easy Nigerian Jollof Rice Recipe, Step by Step
1. Blend the tomatoes, peppers, and onions in a blender until smooth. Pour part of the purée into the a separate bowl. Add the bell peppers to the remaining pureé in the blender and blend until smooth. Add this to the previously put aside mixture and whisk to incorporate.
2. In a big pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the pureed veggies, salt, ground chile pepper, curry powder, onion powder, bay leaves, garlic powder, ginger, and thyme to a mixing bowl. Put the mixture to a rolling boil.
3. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the rice until well combined.
4. When the rice begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and immediately cover the pot. Boil for another 20 to 30 minutes, just until the rice is tender.
5. Serve with fried chicken, spicy grilled chicken, grilled tilapia or gizzards, and fried plantains.
6. If desired, toss in sliced fresh tomatoes, onions, and the 2nd teaspoon of butter.
7. One more step is required to prepare Party Rice. Party rice is now essentially smoked Jollof rice, which is typically cooked over an open fire. On the stovetop, though, you can get the same outcomes. Here’s how it works: if the rice is cooked, turn up the heat with the cover on and leave the rice to “burn” for 3 to 5 minutes. The rice will crackle and snap, and it will smell toasted. Lower the heat and leave the cover on until ready to serve.The longer the lid is left on, the smokier it becomes. Let the celebrations begin!
What kind of rice should I use for Jollof rice
Though many other types of rice can be used to make Jollof rice, For this dish, I used long-grain parboiled rice, which has been soaked, steamed, and dried. The hull is then removed to form parboiled rice. Steaming the rice allows it to absorb nutrients and alters the starch, resulting in a firmer, less sticky meal than plain white rice. I also have a recipe for beef jollof rice that I made with basmati rice. You might even want to investigate it.
Wiki has a great article on Jollof rice that you might be interested in. You might enjoy reading it as much as I did.
Nigerian Jollof Rice or Ghanaian Jollof Rice?
Who has the best Jollof rice?
I’m not even going to get into the current Jollof battles, particularly between Nigeria and Ghana. All I know is that a good cook can produce delicious Jollof rice. In my opinion, it has to do with an individual’s cooking ability rather than a country’s. Kindly let us know what you think.
The most effective way to serve Nigerian Jollof rice
We typically offer Jollof with chicken, turkey, beef, goat meat, fish, or moi moi, as well as a side of fresh, creamy koleslaw or Nigerian salad. In West Africa, a festivity, such as a wedding or naming ceremony, would be incomplete without this feast. It’s a surefire crowd pleaser.