Nigerian party jollof rice

Plan a week with Nigerian dishes

Let's cook

1. Make the pepper base. Put the tomatoes, red peppers, scotch bonnet and 1 onion, roughly chopped, in a blender with 100ml water. Blend until smooth. For a milder rice, cut the scotch bonnet open and scrape out the seeds first, or use half of one.
2. Pour the blended base into a pan. Boil it uncovered on a medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until it is thicker and about a third less. This boils off water so it can fry.
3. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot (one that holds at least 5 litres, with a lid) on a medium heat. Add the sliced onion and fry for 3 minutes until soft.
4. Add the tomato paste. Fry it for 5 minutes, stirring all the time, until it turns from bright red to a deeper brick red and smells sweet, not sharp.
5. Pour in the thickened pepper base. Fry it for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often so it does not catch. It is ready when the oil separates and sits in a shiny red layer on top. This step gives jollof its taste, so do not rush it.
6. Stir in the curry powder, thyme, bay leaves, the stock cube if using, and the salt. Cook for 1 minute. Pour in the hot stock and bring it to the boil. Taste it: it should be a little saltier than you like, because the rice will soak up the salt.
7. Wash the rice in a bowl of cold water, rubbing it with your hand, and pour the water away. Repeat until the water is almost clear, then drain. Tip the rice into the pot and stir once. The liquid should just cover the rice; if it does not, add a splash of water.
8. Cover the pot with a sheet of foil, then put the lid on top. The foil holds in the steam that cooks the rice. Turn the heat down as low as it goes and cook for 30 minutes. Do not stir.
9. Lift the lid and taste a few grains from the top. If they are still hard, sprinkle over 50ml water, cover again and cook for 5 to 10 minutes more. If you need to mix, turn the top rice gently with a fork; a spoon pushed to the bottom breaks the grains and makes them mushy.
10. For the party bottom (optional): once the rice is soft, turn the heat up to medium for 3 to 5 minutes without stirring. A thin layer at the bottom toasts and the rice takes on a smoky smell. Turn the heat off as soon as you smell it, before it smells bitter.
11. While the rice cooks, make the fried plantain (dodo). Peel the plantains, cut them into slices 1cm thick on a slant, and fry in 1cm of hot oil for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
12. Leave the rice to rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir in the butter if using and take out the bay leaves. Serve with the plantain, and scrape up some of the crust for each plate.

Tips

• A heavy pot spreads the heat evenly, so the bottom toasts instead of burning.
• Use parboiled (easy-cook) rice: it stays as separate grains through the long, slow cook.
• Keep the heat low and the lid on. Every time you lift it, steam escapes and the rice cooks unevenly.
• The crust at the bottom is the prize at a Nigerian party. Share it out; do not throw it away.
• Jollof keeps in the fridge for 2 days. Reheat it until it is steaming hot all the way through.

Swaps

• No meat: use vegetable stock and leave out the butter, and the rice is vegan.
• Basmati rice: use 550ml stock and check it after 20 minutes, because it cooks faster and breaks more easily.
• No scotch bonnet: use a pinch of chilli flakes, or none at all for children.
• Smoky taste without the crust: add half a teaspoon of smoked paprika with the curry powder.

More in the Nigerian meal plan

Our own recipe. The photograph is AI-generated.