Jollof Rice

🥘 Ingredients

• bay leaves
  2
• black pepper
  to taste
• butter (room temperature - optional)
  2 tbsp
• chicken bouillon powder (or 3 cubes)
  1 tbsp
• chicken stock
  3-4 cups
• curry powder
  1 tbsp
• garlic (finely minced)
  4 cloves
• ginger (grated)
  1 tbsp
• large tomato (sliced)
  1
• long grain rice (rinsed and drained)
  4 cups
• oil
  1/2 cup
• onion (chopped, sliced, sliced)
  3
• plum tomatoes (chopped)
  3
• red bell pepper (chopped)
  3
• salt (or add to taste)
  1 tsp
• scotch bonnet/habanero (chopped)
  2
• thyme
  1 tbsp
• tomato paste
  4 tbsp
• white pepper
  to taste

🍳 Cookware

• large pan

1. 1

   First, make the tomato-based sauce by blending together red bell pepper , plum tomatoes , onion , and scotch bonnet/habanero .

   red bell pepper: 3 (chopped), plum tomatoes: 3 (chopped), onion: 1 (chopped), scotch bonnet/habanero: 2 (chopped)
2. 2

   Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and let them cook for about ⏱️ 3 minutes or until they are soft.

   oil: 1/2 cup, onion: 1 (sliced)
3. 3

   Next, add tomato paste and fry for about ⏱️ 5 minutes . Then stir in garlic , ginger , and bay leaves . Leave to cook for ⏱️ 2 minutes more.

   tomato paste: 4 tbsp, garlic: 4 cloves (finely minced), ginger: 1 tbsp (grated), bay leaves: 2
4. 4

   Add the blended sauce and allow the pepper to cook until the water is reduced and the sauce becomes thick, about ⏱️ 10-15 minutes .
5. 5

   Season with thyme , curry powder , chicken bouillon powder , salt , and white pepper or black pepper . Cook for another ⏱️ 2-5 minutes .

   thyme: 1 tbsp, curry powder: 1 tbsp, chicken bouillon powder: 1 tbsp (or 3 cubes), salt: 1 tsp (or add to taste), white pepper: to taste, black pepper: to taste
6. 6

   Add long grain rice to the sauce and stir until it is well coated with the sauce. Then add chicken stock , stir briefly, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and bring to a quick boil over high heat.

   long grain rice: 4 cups (rinsed and drained), chicken stock: 3-4 cups
7. 7

   Once it begins to boil, after about ⏱️ 3-5 minutes , reduce the heat immediately to low and steam until the rice is done, about ⏱️ 30 minutes .
8. 8

   Add butter , large tomato , and onion , stir together briefly and turn off the heat. Cover it immediately so that the heat remaining in the rice can steam up the vegetables a little.

   butter: 2 tbsp (room temperature - optional), large tomato: 1 (sliced), onion: 1 (sliced)
9. 📝

   Serve with sweet fried plantains, roasted chicken, or salad.