Jollof hails from West Africa and takes on many different forms as diverse cultures and nations make it their own. This particular Jollof takes inspiration from Nigeria, which means enveloping the tender rice in a rich and vibrant tomato sauce positively bursting with spices! This is the kind of dish that complements braised chicken or short ribs, or even just enjoying with a few slices of hardboiled egg and a little spicy mayo (seriously!). Other rice dishes pale in comparison to a bowl of rosy-golden Jollof!
Ingredients
- 6 medium-sized plum/Roma tomatoes, chopped, plus more, halved, to taste
- 6 red poblano peppers or 4 large red bell peppers, seeds discarded
- 3 medium-sized red onions, 1 thinly sliced and 2 roughly chopped, divided, plus more, sliced, to taste
- 1/2 hot pepper, or more or less to taste
- 6 cups stock, vegetable, chicken, or beef, divided, plus more as needed
- 1/3 cup neutral-flavored oil
- salt, to taste
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons curry powder, Caribbean/Jamaican-style
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 cups converted long-grain rice or golden Sella basmati, rinsed (if using a thinner long-grain rice, use 3-4 cups stock and 1/2-2/3 cup of the tomato mixture created by the recipe)
- 2 teaspoons unsalted butter, optional, divided
Directions
Step 1 –In a blender, combine the tomatoes, the red poblano pepper, the 2 roughly chopped onions, the hot pepper, and 2 cups of the stock.
Step 2 –Blend the mixture until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
Step 3 –Pour the mixture into a large pot or pan.
Step 4 –Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.
Step 5 –Let simmer, partially covered, until reduced, about 10-12 minutes.
Step 6 –In a large pan, heat the oil over medium heat.
Step 7 –Add the remaining sliced onions and the salt to the oil and cook until translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 8 –Add the bay leaves, the curry powder, the dried thyme, and the black pepper to the sliced onion mixture and cook until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes.
Step 9 –Add the tomato paste to the sliced onion mixture and cook until toasted, about 2 minutes.
Step 10 –Add the reduced tomato mixture to the sliced onion mixture, stir, and partially cover the pan with a lid.
Step 11 –Cook until reduced somewhat, about 10-12 minutes.
Step 12 –Add the remaining stock to the cooked tomato sauce and bring the mixture to a boil for 1-2 minutes.
Step 13 –Add the rice and 1 teaspoon of the butter to the sauce mixture.
Step 14 –Stir and cover the pan with a double sheet of foil or baking paper and put the lid on the pan. This helps lock in the steam even more.
Step 15 –Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring halfway through, until the rice is cooked through, about 30 minutes.
Step 16 –Stir and fluff the rice and taste for seasoning.
Step 17 –Mix in the extra halved tomatoes, the extra sliced onions, and the remaining butter.
Step 18 –Let the rice rest, covered, for 5 minutes.
Step 19 –Serve.