Name: Nigerian Jollof Rice
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: African
Ingredients: 1 cup Basmati Rice, rinsed until the water runs mostly clear; 2 Tomato, roughly chopped; 1 Red Bell Pepper, roughly chopped; ½ Habanero Pepper, use less for milder heat; 1 Onion, half blended, half thinly sliced; 2 tbsp Tomato Puree, thick paste-style puree; 2 tbsp Neutral Oil; 2 clove Garlic, minced; 1 inch Ginger, grated; ½ tsp Thyme, dried; ½ tsp Curry Powder; 1 Bay Laurel Leaf; 1 cup Vegetable Stock, warm; ¾ tsp Salt, adjust to taste; ¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper

50 mintotal

30 min hands-on20 min hands-off

Prep 15 min · Cook 15 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Medium

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Method

Blend the tomato, red bell pepper, habanero pepper, and the blending portion of onion into a smooth sauce.
Heat the measured oil in a heavy pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook until soft and lightly golden at the edges.
Add the garlic and ginger. Stir until the raw smell fades, then add the tomato puree and cook until the oil begins to separate.
Pour in the blended sauce, thyme, curry powder, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper. Simmer until the sauce thickens and darkens slightly.
Stir in the rinsed rice until every grain is coated with the sauce. Add the warm vegetable stock and bring it to a gentle boil.
Cover tightly, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Do not stir repeatedly while it steams.
Turn off the heat and rest the covered rice for 5 minutes. Fluff gently with a fork and remove the bay leaf before serving.
5 min

How to tell it's done

The rice should be fluffy, separate, orange-red, and lightly glossy, with no wet sauce pooling at the bottom.

Getting it right

Tip

Cook the tomato-pepper base until it loses its raw sharpness before adding rice; this keeps the finished Jollof rounded rather than watery.

What to serve it with

Serve with sliced cucumber, fried plantain, grilled vegetables, or a simple cabbage salad.

Substitutions

Long-grain rice may replace basmati, but adjust the final liquid slightly based on the rice variety.
Green chili pepper can replace habanero for a milder version, though the heat profile will be different.
Water can replace vegetable stock, but the rice will taste lighter.

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Ingredients