Jollof rice

Ingredients

Stew base (obe ata)

• 6large plum tomatoes (about 700 g), quartered
• 4red bell peppers (tatashe), deseeded
• 3scotch bonnets (ata rodo), or to taste
• 2onions – 1 for blending, 1 sliced
• 4garlic cloves
• 20 gfresh ginger

Rice and seasoning

• 150 mlgroundnut oil
• 150 gtomato paste
• 750 glong-grain parboiled rice, rinsed until the water runs clear
• 800 mlchicken or beef stock, hot
• 2bay leaves
• 2 tspdried thyme
• 1 tbspNigerian curry powder
• 2stock cubes, crumbled
• 1 tspwhite pepper
• 2 tspsalt

To serve

• 1onion, sliced into rings
• fried plantain (dodo) and coleslaw

Directions

1. Blend the tomatoes, bell peppers, scotch bonnets, one onion, garlic and ginger to a smooth puree, then boil it hard in an open pot for 15–20 minutes until the volume drops by a third and it no longer tastes raw or watery.
2. Heat the groundnut oil in a heavy pot with a tight lid over medium heat and fry the sliced onion 5 minutes until soft.
3. Add the tomato paste and fry 5–7 minutes, stirring constantly, until it darkens from bright red to brick and the oil separates around it. This step is what stops jollof tasting sour.
4. Pour in the reduced pepper base, add bay, thyme, curry powder, stock cubes, white pepper and salt, and fry over medium heat for 15 minutes until the oil rises to the surface in a red slick.
5. Stir in the rinsed rice so every grain is coated red, then pour in the hot stock – it should sit about 1 cm above the rice, no more.
6. Bring to a boil, then cover the pot with foil or a banana leaf pressed under the lid to trap every bit of steam, and cook on the lowest heat 25–30 minutes without stirring.
7. For party jollof, turn the heat up to full for the last 3–4 minutes and listen for a faint crackle; a light scorch on the base perfumes the whole pot with smoke.
8. Take off the heat, scatter the onion rings over the top, cover and rest 10 minutes, then fluff from the bottom with a wooden spoon, folding the smoky bottom layer through. Serve with dodo and coleslaw.

Technique

• Long-grain parboiled rice is not a shortcut – its firmer grain is what lets jollof absorb a heavily reduced stew without turning to porridge. Basmati collapses.
• Never stir jollof while it steams. Stirring breaks the grains and makes the rice claggy; all mixing happens before the lid goes on and after it comes off.
• The prized smoky bottom is deliberate, from firewood cooking. It is a controlled scorch of a minute or two, not a burnt pot – if you smell acrid smoke, pull it off immediately.

Substitutions

• No scotch bonnet? Habanero is the same species and works exactly; 2 tsp cayenne plus a red chilli gives the heat but not the fruity perfume.
• For a vegetarian pot, use a well-reduced mushroom and smoked-paprika stock in place of the meat stock.

Variations

• Ghanaian jollof, made with fragrant rice and a lighter, more aromatic base – the other half of the endless jollof argument.
• Smoky party jollof, cooked over firewood in a huge pot for weddings.
• Native jollof (iwuk edesi), made with palm oil, dried fish and periwinkles rather than groundnut oil and tomato paste.

History

Descends from Senegambian thieboudienne of the medieval Wolof Jolof empire; the one-pot tomato rice spread east along trade routes into Ghana and Nigeria.

Frequently asked questions

What is Jollof rice?

Jollof rice is a main from Ghana: rice steamed in smoky tomato-pepper stew base; fierce national pride. Descends from Senegambian thieboudienne of the medieval Wolof Jolof empire; the one-pot tomato rice spread east along trade routes into Ghana and Nigeria.

How long does Jollof rice take to make?

Jollof rice takes 25 min of preparation and 55 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Jollof rice?

Yes, within limits. No scotch bonnet? Habanero is the same species and works exactly; 2 tsp cayenne plus a red chilli gives the heat but not the fruity perfume. For a vegetarian pot, use a well-reduced mushroom and smoked-paprika stock in place of the meat stock.

What is the most important thing to get right in Jollof rice?

For party jollof, turn the heat up to full for the last 3–4 minutes and listen for a faint crackle; a light scorch on the base perfumes the whole pot with smoke.