The Jollof Rice wars have been raging for years. This war is simply the difficulty in finding the best jollof rice. The term jollof rice or where it originates from is still unclear but I know it is as old as I am. Jollof was something prevalent in many Nigerian homes and still is.
The exciting thing is that despite its unique name, it is a very versatile dish and many people cook this dish in different ways. I have heard of Ghanaian jollof rice, Senegalese jollof rice, and Nigerian jollof rice. However, I have not had the opportunity of eating the jollof rice from these other countries but I have been privileged to taste that cooked by different Nigerians be it at their homes or ceremonies.
In Nigeria, a ceremony is never complete without the serving of jollof rice from thermic boxes which are known as ‘coolers’. Also very common is fried rice which is rice cooked in chicken stock and fried with vegetables. It is also accompanied with Moi Moi also known as bean steamed pudding and just like the jollof rice, it is usually accompanied by the above and some coleslaw. The aroma that oozes out of these ‘coolers’ from the jollof rice brings a huge smile to the faces of guests or if I may speak for myself, my face.
Living in Portugal, I have tried different kinds of rice. This was uncommon when I lived in Nigeria as to us Nigerians, rice was rice. But having lived here, I have been faced with making choices of different rice types. I tried, made mistakes, and learned how to apply each rice in my different recipes. Having come across rice types like Basmati, Brown rice, Parboiled rice which is also known as argulha in Portugal, Carolina – short grain rice, Wild rice, Thai rice, Jasmine, etc.
My husband who is portuguese usually cooks agulha rice but when I tried it first with jollof rice, it was pure disaster. It turned out like pudding as it very high in starch.
Using short grain Carolina rice was worse than a disaster as I later learned from my mother-in-law that Carolina rice was better used as pudding rice for deserts or rice recipes that are left liquidy.
In another post, I will be sharing a portuguese recipe that is known as arroz de legumes or another called arroz the carne or marisco. These are recipes cooked with rice and a mix of vegetables, meat or seafood. The main idea is to leave a lot of sauce in the cooked rice and allow it to absorb.
Coming back to cooking Jollof rice, it is not a difficult dish but it is rather time-consuming. From boiling the chicken or beef to making the sauce, you can be sure to have a lot of time spent before the meal is ready. Following the steps below will ensure you have a well-prepared tasty meal while saving time.
Classic Nigerian Jollof Rice
The perfect jollof rice that is simple, yet tasty. Secret of seperate grains can be found in this recipe!
Ingredients
- 3 cups parboiled Rice
- 4 cups hot boiling water
- Chicken cut in pieces
- 4 cups hot boiling water
- 1 medium-sized red onion for the jollof sauce
- 1 medium sized white onion for the chicken and stock
- 2 medium-sized red bell peppers
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 medium-sized scotch bonnet pepper
- 3 fingers of ginger
- 1 small Tomato
- Guajillo chilli pepper
- thyme
- Curry
- Seasoning cubes
- Vegetables for garnishing - carrots, spring onion,
Directions
- Step 1 Thoroughly wash your chicken. Place it in a pot and season with salt, onions, garlic, pepper, curry and thyme, seasoning cubes. Pour over 1 cup of hot water and allow to boil. When cooked for about an 10mins, pour in the rest of the hot water till tender.
- Step 2 My preference is the hen which here in Portugal, they call galinha as it is tougher and tastier.
- Step 3 While the chicken is cooking, start with your veggies for the sauce of the rice. Wash and roughly chop these veggies. Toss in an oven tray the veggies except the guajillo chilli pepper. Bake them in the oven for about 7 minutes or till they roast and wilt.
-
Step 4
In another bowl, pour boiling water over the guajillo chilli pepper and cover them for about 2 minutes. This makes them wilt and easier to deseed.
For the rice, boil some water and pour it over the already washed parboiled rice. Cover it in an airtight container. The water level should be the same as the rice so as not to allow the rice to oversoak. - Step 5 Place your roasted veggies and guajillo chilli pepper in a blender and pulse to give it a rough chop.
-
Step 6
In a deep pot, pour some vegetable oil and when heated, put in your onions and then half of roughly chopped veggies. After a minute or so, put in your cooked chicken and toss around the sauce to make the peppered chicken.
Meanwhile, blend the rest of the veggies into a puree. -
Step 7
Remove the peppered chicken and make the sauce for the jollof rice by pouring in the rest of your blended vegetables into your skillet.
Fry dry the sauce, add the chicken stock and finally the pre-soaked rice. Cook and reduce heat to allow the rice cook thoroughly. Pour over the cooked rice, cut carrots and spring onions for the garnishing. -
Step 8
Serve rice with peppered chicken and fried plantain.
Enjoy!
