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Nira's World
🍳 Recipe Card · Nigeria
Episode · Nigeria
Jollof Rice
The ultimate West African celebration rice — smoky, tomatoey and deeply flavourful. Nira joined a big family party in Lagos to cook a giant pot!
Ingredients
The Rice
1
2 cups long-grain parboiled rice, rinsed
2
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
3
1 cup water
The Tomato Base
1
400g chopped tomatoes (1 tin)
2
1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
3
1 scotch bonnet or 1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
4
1 large onion — half blended, half sliced
5
2 tbsp tomato puree
6
3 tbsp vegetable oil
7
1 tsp each thyme, curry powder, salt, stock cube
How to Make It
1
Blend. Blend tomatoes, red pepper, scotch bonnet and half the onion into a smooth paste.
2
Fry the base. Heat oil in a heavy pot. Fry sliced onion 3 mins. Add tomato puree and stir-fry 2 minutes.
3
Add blended mix. Pour in the blended tomato mix. Cook on medium-high heat for 15 minutes, stirring often, until the paste darkens and the oil floats on top.
4
Season & add stock. Add stock, water, thyme, curry powder, salt and stock cube. Stir and taste — it should be well seasoned.
5
Add rice. Stir in rinsed rice. The liquid should just cover the rice. Bring to a boil.
6
Steam to perfection. Cover tightly with foil, then the lid. Cook on the lowest heat for 25–30 minutes. Do not lift the lid! The slight scorching at the bottom is the secret — that's the flavour!
Nira's Fun Fact
Jollof Rice is at the centre of a friendly rivalry — Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal all claim to make the best version. The debate is so famous it's called the "Jollof Wars"! Nigerian Jollof is known for its smoky bottom layer called "party jollof".
🗣️
Say it in Yoruba!
"Ounje dara!"
The food is good! · (oon-jeh dah-rah)
Nigeria