Jollof Rice Two Ways – Nigerian and Ghanaian
Recipes for Nigerian jollof rice and Ghana jollof rice
Ingredients
Nigerian Jollof
- 2 Red bell peppers
- 5 Tomatoes
- 2 Onions
- 1 Scotch bonnet pepper
- ½ cup Sunflower oil
- 2 tablespoons Tomato paste/puree
- 1 teaspoon Mild curry powder
- ½ Dried thyme
- 2 medium Bay leaves
- 1 cup Chicken stock
- 2 cubes Chicken stock cubes
- 2 cups Golden Basmati Rice or any long-grain parboiled rice
- Salt
Ghana Jollof
- 1 Red bell peppers
- 4 Tomatoes
- 2 Onions
- 1 Scotch bonnet pepper
- 2 Garlic
- Fresh ginger – thumb size thumb size
- ½ cup Sunflower oil
- 3 tablespoons Tomato paste/puree
- 1 teaspoon Mild curry powder
- ½ teaspoon Nutmeg
- 2 medium Bay leaves
- 1 cup Chicken stock
- 2 cubes Chicken Stock cubes
- 2 cups Thai Jasmine Rice
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Nigerian Jollof
- Wash the tomatoes and peppers. Remove the stalk from the peppers. Peel the onions. Wash the rice under a cold tap until the water runs clear, and drain in a colander.
- Cut one onion into quarters and add into a blender. Add three tomatoes, red bell pepper and scotch bonnet pepper, then add half a cup of water and liquidize until smooth. Keep aside.
- Chop the remaining onion. Slice the remaining tomatoes thinly.
- Heat the oil in a pan under medium heat, then pour the chopped onions. Cook until the onions start to brown.
- Add the blended pepper mix, curry powder, thyme, bouillon cubes, and bay leaves into the pan—Cook for 20 mins making sure to stir occasionally. Then add the tomato paste and the sliced tomatoes. Reduce the heat and allow simmer until the moisture reduces significantly and the oil separates to settle on the surface.
- Bring back the heat to medium. Add the washed rice and the stock, then add two cups of water and taste for salt. Allow the rice to boil, then reduce the heat slightly. Check the rice after 15 mins; if there is still liquid on top of the rice, place the lid back on. Check again after 5 mins, and repeat until most of the liquid at the top is absorbed, and you can see the rice.
- Stir through with the wooden spoon and reduce the heat to lowest for the remaining sauce in the rice to be absorbed. Continue to check and stir every 5 mins until all the liquid is absorbed.
- Stir through with a wooden spoon and cover for a few minutes before serving.
Ghana Jollof
- Wash the tomatoes and peppers. Remove the stalk from the peppers. Peel the onions and the garlic cloves. Wash the rice under a cold tap until the water runs clear, and drain in a colander.
- Cut one onion into quarters and add into a blender. Add the tomatoes, red bell pepper, scotch bonnet pepper, garlic and ginger, then add half a cup of water and liquidize until smooth. Keep aside.
- Chop the remaining onion.
- Heat the oil in a pan under medium heat, then pour the chopped onions. Cook until the onions start to brown.
- Add the tomato paste and reduce the heat. Use a wooden spoon to stir while it fries for 5 mins.
- Raise the heat to medium. Pour two cups of the blended peppers mix into the pan. Add the curry powder, nutmeg, and bay leaves, then sprinkle in the stock cubes. Mix well with a wooden spoon and allow to cook while stirring occasionally. Cook until the moisture has reduced significantly and the oil has settled on the surface. This will take at least 20 mins.
- Add the chicken stock and mix the rice into the pan. Then add 1 cup of water, taste for salt and add more if needed. Allow the rice to come to a boil, then reduce the heat. Place a sheet of aluminium foil over the rice, then cover the pan.
- Check after 10 mins and stir the rice with a wooden spoon. Repeat more frequently until the rice is cooked through and has absorbed all the sauce. This will take at least 30 mins.
- Remove from heat, stir with a wooden spoon, put the lid back on and leave for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
There is a lot of stirring in jollof rice. Therefore, it is best to use a wooden spatula with blunt edges. Stainless steel cooking spoons or wooden spoons with sharp edges could break the rice grains and make the jollof go mushy.
Nutrition
Calories: 337kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 4gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 220mgPotassium: 526mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1991IUVitamin C: 63mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 1mg
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