Jollof Rice

Method

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1. Blend the tomatoes, red peppers, one onion and the scotch bonnets to a smooth purée.

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2. Pour the purée into a wide pan and boil hard, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes until it has reduced by nearly half and thickened considerably. This step is essential.

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3. Heat the oil in a heavy pot and fry the sliced onion for 8 minutes until soft and golden.

   Mark done Start 8 min timer

4. Add the tomato purée and fry 4 minutes until it darkens to a deep brick red.

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5. Add the reduced pepper base and fry for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until the oil pools clearly at the edges and the base is thick and jammy.

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6. Stir in the curry powder, thyme, ginger, paprika, salt, white pepper and bay leaves and cook 2 minutes.

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7. Add the rinsed rice and stir until every grain is coated in the base.

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8. Pour in the hot stock, stir once, then cover with foil and a tight lid and cook on the lowest heat for 25 minutes without lifting the lid.

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9. Uncover, dot with the butter, then raise the heat to medium for 3 to 4 minutes so the bottom layer catches and smokes lightly.

   Mark done Start 3 min timer

10. Take off the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes, then fold the smoky bottom layer up through the rice and serve.

    Mark done Start 10 min timer

Chef’s Tips

• Reduce the pepper base properly. Watery base makes soggy jollof, and there is no recovering from it.
• Parboiled long-grain rice holds its shape through the long cook; basmati collapses.
• The bottom crust is not a mistake. Deliberately letting it catch for a few minutes is what gives party jollof its flavour.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock makes this meat-free without changing the method, if that is what you need.
• Fresh herbs work in place of the dried thyme at roughly three times the quantity — a teaspoon of dried is about a tablespoon of fresh, chopped.

Pairing Suggestions

• Fried plantain (dodo) and coleslaw
• Grilled or fried chicken
• A cold Star or Gulder

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate up to 4 days and freeze 3 months. Reheat covered with a splash of stock.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.