Jollof rice recipe
One of the most popular dishes in western Africa, jollof rice is a 1-pot dish to relish. Each region has its own variation, but the results are always the same – tasty!
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 400g plum tomatoes (fresh or tinned)
- 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
- 100g tomato purée
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 0.5 teaspoon curry powder
- 0.5 teaspoon dried thyme
- 700ml reduced-salt vegetable or chicken stock
- 500g easy-cook long grain white rice
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
Method
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Liquidise the tomatoes, onion and pepper in a blender or food processor (or chop very finely). Tip into a large saucepan, then cover and cook over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes.
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Add the tomato purée, bay leaf, garlic, curry powder and thyme. Simmer for a further couple of minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the stock or water and bring to boil.
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Once boiling, add the rice and stir well, then turn down the heat and cover with a lid. Allow to simmer over a low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
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Check and stir occasionally to make sure there is enough liquid to cook the rice, adding a little extra water if needed to make sure it does not burn.
Information:You could use easy-cook brown rice in this recipe, but it will take an extra 10 to 15 minutes to cook, so keep an close eye on the liquid levels.
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Once the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and leave to cool for a minute or two. Ladle between 4 plates and enjoy.
Information:Serve with grilled chicken, fish or meat and some brightly coloured steamed vegetables or a side salad. To save time, you can add frozen vegetables to the pan to steam towards the end of cooking.
