Name: Jollof Rice
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Nigeria, West Africa
Ingredients: 3 cups long-grain parboiled rice, washed until water runs clear; 6 medium Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped; 3 medium red bell peppers, deseeded and chopped; 2 whole scotch bonnet peppers; 2 large onions, 1 blended, 1 sliced; â…“ cup vegetable oil; 3 tbsp tomato paste; 2 tsp curry powder

Jollof Rice

Nigeria's iconic one-pot rice dish cooked in a smoky tomato and pepper sauce. The rice absorbs layers of flavour from blended tomatoes, scotch bonnets, and a signature party smokiness.

Country

Nigeria

Region

West Africa

Time

90 min

Serves

Level

medium

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Jollof Rice is the undisputed king of Nigerian party food. No owambe (Yoruba party) is complete without it. The debate over whether Nigerian or Ghanaian Jollof is superior has become one of West Africa's most passionate cultural rivalries.

What the dish tastes like

Nigeria's iconic one-pot rice dish cooked in a smoky tomato and pepper sauce. The rice absorbs layers of flavour from blended tomatoes, scotch bonnets, and a signature party smokiness.

When to cook it

Best for Parties and celebrations, with a medium cooking level and about 90 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Fried plantain, coleslaw, and grilled chicken

Follow the collection route

One-Pot Wonders is the main AfroKitchen collection route tied to this dish right now. One-Pot Wonders

Blend the base

Blend tomatoes, red bell peppers, scotch bonnets, and one onion until smooth. Pour into a pot and cook on medium-high heat until reduced by half.

Frying down the tomato base is the most important step â€” it must lose all excess water.

Reduce tomato base 30:00

Fry the base

Heat vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Fry sliced onions until golden. Add tomato paste and fry for 2 minutes. Pour in the reduced tomato blend.

Fry base 10:00

Season

Add curry powder, thyme, bay leaves, seasoning cubes, and salt. Let the sauce fry until oil floats on top, about 10 minutes.

When the oil separates and sits on top, your base is ready for rice.

Season sauce 10:00

Add rice

Pour in the washed rice and stir to coat every grain. Add stock or water to sit about 1cm above the rice. Cover tightly with foil then the lid.

The foil seal traps steam and helps the rice cook evenly.

Cook the rice

Cook on low heat for 30 minutes without opening the lid. Stir gently from the bottom, re-cover and cook for another 10-15 minutes until tender.

Cook rice 30:00

Create the party smokiness

Increase heat to high for the last 2-3 minutes to create a slight burn at the bottom â€” this is the prized party jollof smoky flavour.

The bottom crust is the most coveted serving at any party.

Smoke the rice 02:30

Jollof Rice

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Step-by-step instructions

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