Jollof rice which is commonly called party jollof rice, is one of the oldest recipes in Nigeria, other rice recipes include coconut rice, palm oil jollof rice, jollof rice and beans,fried rice, rice and tomato stew among others. Jollof rice is a very popular recipe in many homes in Africa; this is commonly prepared in many restaurants and food joints as well in case you are a visitor you can visit any restaurant near you for this special recipe.
Party jollof rice is one of the easiest rice recipes any one can think of, it is rich colourful and filled with great flavour. Party jollof rice is that orange coloured rice cooked in a delicious tangy tomato sauce, this rice recipe has a distinctive aroma and it is much more delicious with the added smoky burnt flavour. Jollof rice is best served with chicken either fried or baked, howeverfried fish and beef can be used as well.
Jollof rice has been reigning for so long, in fact for many years ago and until today every one still crave for it whether in parties, weddings, funerals and in several other special occasions. One good think about Nigerian jollof rice is that it can simply be made without vegetable and with vegetables. I have earlier made jollof rice with mixed vegetables check it out here, the reason why Im making this particular jollof rice recipe is just to enlighten and updates few tips to the previous one which may interest you to know when making your party jollof rice next time. I hope you read to the end.
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Tips on how to make the perfect Jollof rice recipe
- Use lots of bell peppers, tomato paste to make your jollof rice if you want to get that party flavour. You have to use lots of tomato paste and peppers in your jollof rice recipe, apart from the unique taste they add to the rice, these will also give the rice that deep orange colour which you often see in parties.
- Cook the jollof rice using chicken broth (beef broth can be used too). The chicken broth should be the one you prepared at home while preparing your chicken. It is very easy to make chicken broth at home; add spices like, thyme, curry, peppers, nutmeg, ginger, garlic and other spices to your chicken and cook, adding water as well to extract a rich and tasty broth. This stock or broth will leave your jollof rice with a rich chicken aroma combined with other healthy spices.
- Control the volume of water you add to your jollof rice, it is best you cook the rice with chicken broth, add very little water if needed and then cover it with aluminum foil paper to enable it cook by steaming. This process works well especially when you dont want to end up with a mushy or clumpy jollof rice.
- Cook your jollof rice using the steaming process. This can be achieved by using aluminum foil pepper to cover the pot before placing the pot lid over the foil paper. This process helps to trap enough heat in the pot and thus helps to cook the rice evenly and faster without it burning or turning soggy during the cooking process.
- Fry the tomato sauce until it becomes thickened and less tangy, this thick tomato sauce will infuse into every grain of rice as it cooks.
- Wash your rice well to get rid of the starch that causes the rice grains to clump together, you dont necessary need to parboil the rice until it get soft. For instance, what I do most times is to soak the rice in hot water for just five minutes and then rinse it severally so that I dont overcook the rice before the real cooking start. However, you can parboil the rice for few minutes if you are not comfortable washing in hot water but dont let it get soft before time.
- Let the rice sit a little bit longer after the liquid has dried if you want that burnt smoky flavour of the popular party jollof rice, this is mostly achieved when using firewood or the cast iron pot. But you can also let the rice sit a little bit longer on a gas top to get that burnt and smoky aroma. However, you dont have to burn your whole pot of rice, it is just the bottom of the pot you should allow to be heated for few minutes, the smoky aroma will then infuse to each grain of the rice. However, if you dont buy this idea of burning your rice for any reason, add some smoked salt or smoked paprika powder to your jollof rice, they also have that smoky flavour as well. See here how to clean your burnt pot after
- Increase the quantity of ingredients you use for your jollof rice if you are cooking for a larger crowd or people.
Just before you prepare your jollof rice
- Wash season with your preferred ingredients and cooked the chicken to extract the broth. See how to boil chicken here.
- Wash and blend tomato together with one onion, garlic, bell peppers, scotch bonnets, drain the liquid by cooking for few minutes or simply drain it with a colander and set aside.
- Parboil the long grain rice for 5 minutes, rinse severally with clean water and set it aside.
- Open the canned tomato paste; mix it with a little water to loosen the thickness, set aside.
- Chop onions, at the same time pound crayfish and also grate nutmeg if youre using that and set all aside.
Jollof Rice Ingredients
- kilo of chicken for serving, fried or baked
- 4-5 cups of long grain rice
- 2 large onions
- 3 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 4 red bell peppers (tatashe)
- 3 medium plum tomatoes
- 4 scotch bonnets
- 2 seasoning cubes
- 2 tablespoons of ground crayfish
- 3 bay leaves, optional
- teaspoon of nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon of dried thyme
- 3 cloves of garlic
- teaspoon of ground ginger
Ingredients for making jollof rice recipe
How to Make Perfect Party Jollof Rice
- Place a large pot on heat, add vegetable oil into it, add onions and saut for 2 minutes.
- Add the dissolved tomato paste to the oil and saut for 5 minutes.
- Add the pepper mix and stir-fry for 10 minutes or until the tomato loses it sourness.
- Add your chicken broth to the sauce and stir to incorporate.
- Add crayfish, nutmeg, curry, thyme, ginger, stock cube, stir it properly, and bring to a boil.
- Add the parboiled rice to the content and sir to incorporate; you can add just a little water if the chicken broth is not going to be enough to cook the rice, make sure the rice and the liquid are at the same level, since you are going to cook this using the steaming method.
- Add some bay leaves, but this is optional and then taste for salt if it is needed, adds just a little to it.
- Cut out aluminium foil paper just the size of your pot, place it over the pot surface, place the pot lid over it, and fold the paper upward. This process will help to trap in heat, thus hasten the cooking process and prevent the rice from tuning soggy.
- You can check the rice to see if the water has reduced and then taste the rice to see if it is soft, once that is achieved mix the rice thoroughly to combine.
- Leave your jollof rice to sit on a medium heat for about 10 minutes if you want that achieve the burnt and smoky party jollof rice aroma.
Take the rice off from heat. Your party jollof rice is ready, serve with fried, grilled or baked chicken or with beef. Bon appetite.
Simple Steps on to Make Perfect Party Jollof Rice with Pictures
1. Place a large pot on heat, add vegetable oil into it, add onions and saut for 2 minutes.
2. Add the dissolved tomato paste to the oil and saut for 5 minutes.
Frying tomato paste with onions for jollof rice recipe
3.Add the pepper mix and stir-fry for 10 minutes or until the tomato loses it sourness. When the oil floats to the top and the tomatoes forms some tiny bubble, it mean it is fried. You can also use already prepared tomato stew to make your jollof rice instead of having to make a new tomato sauce for this.
Add the blended pepper and tomato mix to the pot and cook until it thickens
4. Add your chicken broth to the sauce and stir i t well to incorporate.
After add the chicken broth, bring the content to a boil before adding in the washed rice. Remember you can use beef broth as well
5. Add crayfish, nutmeg, curry, thyme, ginger, stock cube, stir it properly, and bring to a boil.
6. Add the parboiled rice to the content and sir to incorporate; you can add just a littlewater if the chicken broth is not going to be enough to cook the rice, make sure the rice and the liquid are at the same level, since you are going to cook this using the steaming method.
7. Add some bay leaves, but this is optional and then taste for salt if it is needed, adds just a little to it.
Cooking process of party jollof rice
You can add very little water if you think the meat broth is not enough to cook the rice
8.Cut out aluminium foil paper just the size of your pot, place it over the pot surface, place the pot lid over itand fold the paper upward. This process will help to trap in heat, thus hasten the cooking process and prevent the rice from tuning soggy.
The foil paper help to trap in heat in the pot and hasten the cooking process without the rice turning soggy
9. You can check the rice to see if the water has reduced and then taste the rice to see if it is soft, once that is achieved mix the rice thoroughly to combine.
10. Leave your jollof rice to sit on a medium heat for about 10 minutes if you want that achieve the burnt and smoky party jollof rice aroma.
Your party jollof rice is ready once the liquid is dried and the rice is soft
11. Take the rice off from heat. Your party jollof rice is ready, serve with fried, grilled or baked chicken or with beef. Bon appetit’
Party jollof rice after it has been scooped
A plate of delicious Nigerian party jollof rice with chicken
Serve your Jollof rice exactly the way you love it.