Jollof Rice

Story

Jollof rice descends from thieboudienne, a one-pot rice and fish dish created in 19th-century Saint-Louis, Senegal, and attributed by oral tradition to Penda Mbaye, a cook at the colonial governor's residence who substituted broken rice for barley during a shortage. The name 'jollof' derives from the Wolof Empire, a confederacy that ruled parts of Senegal, Gambia and Mauritania from roughly the 14th to 16th centuries and whose diaspora carried the dish across West Africa. What is now called the 'Jollof Wars' is a spirited, largely online rivalry, primarily between Nigeria and Ghana, over who makes the superior version; yet Senegal's ceebu jen was inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in December 2021, settling at least the question of provenance, if not of taste. Nigerian jollof is distinguished by its use of long-grain parboiled rice and the prized 'party jollof' variant, cooked over firewood in iron pots for a smoky bottom crust Nigerians call 'the best part'.

Ingredients

• 400g long-grain parboiled rice
• 4 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 2 red bell peppers, roughly chopped
• 2 scotch bonnet peppers (adjust to taste)
• 2 medium onions (1 roughly chopped for blending, 1 thinly sliced)
• 80ml vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 chicken or vegetable stock cubes
• 500ml chicken or vegetable stock
• Salt to taste

Method

• 1. Blend the tomatoes, red bell peppers, scotch bonnets and the chopped onion together until smooth. Set aside.
• 2. Rinse the parboiled rice under cold water until the water runs nearly clear. Set aside.
• 3. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and fry for 4 to 5 minutes until softened and beginning to colour.
• 4. Add the tomato paste and stir for 2 minutes to cook out the raw flavour.
• 5. Pour in the blended tomato and pepper mixture. Add the curry powder, thyme, bay leaves and crumbled stock cubes. Stir well.
• 6. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, then reduce to a vigorous simmer. Cook uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and the oil has risen to the surface.
• 7. Add the rinsed rice and stir to coat in the sauce. Pour in the stock and enough water so the liquid sits about 2cm above the rice. Season with salt.
• 8. Bring back to a simmer, then reduce the heat to its lowest setting. Cover tightly with foil and then the lid to trap the steam.
• 9. Cook for 30 minutes without lifting the lid. After 30 minutes, check that the rice is cooked and all the liquid has been absorbed. If liquid remains, re-cover and cook for a further 5 to 10 minutes.
• 10. Remove the bay leaves and fluff the rice gently with a fork. For the smoky 'party jollof' effect, turn the heat to medium for the final 3 to 4 minutes to develop a lightly charred bottom crust.
• 11. Serve with fried plantains, moin moin, or grilled chicken.

Common questions