Jollof Rice — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Ghana's pride — fragrant rice cooked with tomatoes, onions, and spices until every grain glows red. Lighter and more aromatic than its Nigerian rival, with basmati rice giving it a distinctive texture.

Ingredients

3 cups long-grain basmati or jasmine rice, rinsed
6 large ripe tomatoes, blended
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 large onions, blended
4 scotch bonnet peppers, blended with the tomatoes
500g chicken pieces, seasoned and grilled or fried
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 Maggi cubes or bouillon cubes
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
3 cups chicken stock or water
Salt to taste

Instructions

1 Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the blended onions and fry for five minutes until the moisture evaporates and the onions begin to brown and caramelize in the hot oil, stirring frequently.
2 Add the tomato paste and fry for three minutes, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens and the raw flavour cooks out. Pour in the blended tomato and pepper mixture and cook over medium-high heat for twenty to twenty-five minutes until the oil floats on top.
3 This step of frying the tomato base until the oil separates is called making the stew base, and it is the most critical step in Ghanaian jollof rice. The base should be thick, deeply coloured, and no longer taste raw or acidic.
4 Season the tomato base with the Maggi cubes, curry powder, dried thyme, bay leaves, and salt. Stir well, then pour in the chicken stock. Bring to a vigorous boil and taste the liquid, adjusting the seasoning now since the rice will not add any salt.
5 Add the rinsed rice to the boiling tomato broth, stirring once to distribute evenly. The liquid should be about two centimetres above the level of the rice. Bring back to a boil, then reduce heat to the absolute lowest setting.
6 Cover the pot tightly, first with aluminum foil pressed against the rim, then with the lid. This double seal traps all the steam inside. Cook for thirty minutes without lifting the lid. The rice should absorb all the liquid and steam to perfection.
7 Remove the lid and fluff the rice gently with a fork. The grains should be separate, tender, and deeply stained red-orange from the tomato. Serve the jollof rice with the grilled or fried chicken pieces and a side of coleslaw or fried plantains.