Jollof Rice - Nigerian Jollof Rice

 Let's be real. Rice is one of those foods that are pretty much universal for everyone to eat, especially in an African setting. How so? Well a typical African eats rice at least once in a week and Nigerians are no exception. Of all the rices in Africa, jollof rice is a popular choice and Nigerian jollof rice has it's own special kick in it that makes it so delicious you'd want to lick your plate! And I'm going to show you how to make it!

Jollof rice is a special rice popular in the West and Sub-Saharan Africa. A typical jollof rice dish is made with rice, tomatoes, onions, other spices, some vegetables and meat in some dishes. They are all put together in one pot (also known as one pot dish).

Ingredients!

To make Nigerian jollof rice you will need oil (any oil will do, but vegetable is preferable), butter, tomatoes (either fresh or canned diced tomatoes), tomato paste, red onions, bell peppers, chicken stock (if desired) and most importantly, long grained parboiled rice.

Spices!

You should have with you, seasoning cubes (such as knorr or maggi), salt, pepper seasonings, curry powder, ginger powder and thyme.

How to make Nigerian jollof rice with steps!

1) Get a medium sized pot, get the heat on and add about 4 tablespoons of oil then a scoop of butter then add some onions that are already chopped.

2) After allowing your onions to fry for a bit, pour the tomato paste in the pot and stir it often to avoid burning. Do so until the tomato paste mixes with the oil.

3) Blend all the vegetables (i.e tomatoes, peppers and onions together until it is smooth, then add it with the tomato paste.

4) Add all the spices except salt and mix. Quickly cover the pot and allow the tomato to fry with the oil. You may want to add more oil if necessary. Make sure to mix often to avoid burning.

5) While the tomato mixture is frying, you can wash your rice. Wash the rice at least three times to remove as much of the starch as possible.

6) When the tomato is done frying, add the chicken stock. At this point in cooking, you can now add your salt.

7) You can now add the washed rice with a bit of water and mix everything together in the pot.

8) The rice should cook for about 30 minutes. After that, check the rice and mix it again. Allow it to cook for about 10 minutes, and it should be ready to eat!

Note: For the party jollof rice taste, allow the rice to burn for a few minutes. Make sure you don't burn the whole food.

Enjoy your delicious and well seasoned spicy Nigerian jollof rice!