Nigerian Jollof Rice

Ingredients

• 1500 g chicken thighs
• 1 handful onion
• 0.5 piece ginger
• 2 clove garlic
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 4 piece chicken bouillon cubes
• 0.5 cup water
• 600 g tomatoes
• 550 g bell peppers
• 1 piece scotch bonnet pepper
• 0.5 piece red onion
• 1 bulb garlic
• 1 few sprigs fresh thyme
• 0.5 cup oil
• 1200 g rice
• 1 handful onion
• 327 g tomato paste
• 410 g blended tomato sauce
• 2.5 tsp salt
• 1 tsp Knorr chicken cube
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 2 piece bay leaves
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 2 cup chicken stock
• 2 cup water

Method

1. 1

   Cut the chicken thighs into smaller pieces. Season with chopped onion, half thumb size ginger, smashed garlic, 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp curry powder, 2 tsp salt, and 4 crushed chicken bouillon cubes. Mix well.

2. 2

   Cover the seasoned chicken and steam on low heat for about 10 minutes until it releases its own juices.

3. 3

   Add 0.5 cup of water to the chicken, cover, and continue cooking for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken is almost fully cooked.

4. 4

   Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. Strain the chicken stock to remove any bones or large chunks of ginger/garlic, and reserve for later use.

5. 5

   Rinse the tomatoes, bell peppers, scotch bonnet pepper, and red onion. Remove seeds and veins from bell peppers. Cut all vegetables into smaller pieces.

6. 6

   Transfer the chopped vegetables to a baking dish. Add the garlic bulb, drizzle with oil, and add a few sprigs of fresh thyme.

7. 7

   Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, turning midway to ensure even cooking.

8. 8

   Allow the roasted vegetables to cool slightly. Press out the garlic from its shell, then transfer all roasted ingredients to a blender and blend until completely smooth. This is your blended tomato sauce (jollof base).

9. 9

   In a large pot, heat some oil (from the 0.5 cup total) and fry the cooked chicken until golden brown. Remove the fried chicken and any added onion from the oil, and set aside.

10. 10

    Reduce the oil in the pot to about 0.5 cup. Add the chopped onion (1 handful) and fry for 3-4 minutes until soft.

11. 11

    Add the 327g of tomato paste to the pot. Fry the tomato paste for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the oil separates and the paste caramelizes. This step is crucial to prevent a sour taste.

12. 12

    Add the 410g of blended roasted tomato sauce (jollof base) to the pot.

13. 13

    Season the sauce with 2.5 tsp salt, 1 tsp crushed Knorr chicken cube, 1 tbsp curry powder, 1 tbsp dried thyme, and 2 bay leaves. Stir all the spices together.

14. 14

    Add 2 cups of chicken stock and some of the 2 cups of water to loosen the sauce. Mix thoroughly, then cover and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.

15. 15

    While the sauce simmers, wash the 1200g of rice several times until the water runs clear. Use room temperature or cold water for the final rinse if using hot water initially.

16. 16

    Add the washed rice to the simmering sauce and mix properly, ensuring there are no large chunks of sauce at the bottom.

17. 17

    Add the remaining water until it is just slightly above the rice level. At this point, you can gauge the final color of the jollof; if it looks too pale, add more jollof base, fried tomato paste, or paprika for color.

18. 18

    Cover the pot tightly with foil paper (or parchment paper/tight lid) to trap the steam, which helps the rice cook without becoming sticky.

19. 19

    Cook the rice on low-medium heat for about 30-40 minutes. For a smoky party jollof, cook on low heat for 10 minutes, then increase to high heat for the remaining 20-25 minutes.

20. 20

    Once the rice is done, give it a very good mix.