If you have been using the internet for the past few years, you would have heard about the ‘Jollof wars.’ Now, this war wasn’t fought with any ammunition. It was simply a bragging competition between West African countries about Jollof. Everyone claimed that their country’s method of cooking Jollof rice was the superior method. On this note, you should know that our how to prepare Jollof rice tutorial is for Nigerian Jollof.
A brief history of Jollof
The two main opponents in the Jollof wars are Nigeria and Ghana. But funny enough, this delicious meal actually originated from Senegal. The Senegalese recipe had a different name—Wolof—but it soon changed to Jollof as it spread to other parts of Africa.
Nowadays, you can find variations of this unique dish all over Africa. As expected, there will be variations of this dish as you move from one country to the next because of the differences on how to prepare Jollof rice. Overall, you will still get the same delicious taste!
Jollof rice main ingredients explained
There is a popular saying in Nigeria that when a soup is delicious, it is the ingredients that make it so. This means that you can’t master how to prepare Jollof rice without deeply considering your ingredients.
What are the things you need for Jollof rice?
1. Rice
Your choice of rice will make or break the dish. You can use long grain rice, basmati, or locally-produced rice. You might have to consider the texture you’re trying to achieve. The rice shouldn’t stick together after cooking. Each grain should stand on its own.
The quantity of your rice will determine the quantity of other ingredients. Everything must be proportional.
2. Protein
Protein, in this case, means the choice of meat you’ll use for your Jollof. You can go for chicken, beef, goat meat or turkey. You can even decide to get fancy and combine different proteins. The choice is really up to you. The stock from your cooked meat will serve as a base for your rice, so choose what works for you.
3. Tomatoes (Fresh and puree)
Tomatoes add a burst of flavours to the dish. Fresh tomatoes and tomato puree work together to give your rice both an appealing color and a fresh taste. Make sure your fresh tomatoes are ripe. Go for high-quality puree.
4. Cooking oil
Cooking oil will add another layer of flavour to your Jollof, so you should decide if you want groundnut oil, sunflower oil or olive oil. Knowing how to prepare Jollof rice will depend on your knowledge of flavour layering
List of ingredients for Jollof rice
• 3 cups rice
• ½ cup olive oil
• 150ml tomato puree
• 2 seasoning cubes
• Salt
• 1 large onion
• 6 large ripe tomatoes
• ½ teaspoon curry
• ½ teaspoon thyme
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• 2 bay leaves
Image Credits: wikimedia.org
How to prepare Jollof rice: Cooking instructions
1. Blend the ripe tomatoes and onions and set aside
2. Cook the meat until tender and separate the broth from the meat, then fry the meat until golden brown
3. Parboil your rice and drain out the hot water once it is a bit soft (You should never parboil basmati)
4. Place a pot or saucepan on the fire and heat up the oil
5. Pour in chopped onions and bay leaves and stir-fry until the onions are translucent
6. Pour in the blended tomatoes and onions and let it fry for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally
7. Add the seasoning cubes, thyme, curry and chili powder to the stew
8. Add the meat broth to the stew and let it cook for 5 more minutes
9. Add your parboiled rice, stirring until it is well-mixed with the stew
10. Cover the pot with the lid
11. Cook on very low heat
12. Once all the moisture has dried from the rice, check to see if it is soft enough to your taste. You don’t need to put the rice back on fire to get it softer. All you have to do is turn off the heat and cover the pot for 10 minutes.
13. Serve your delicious Jollof rice!
Jollof rice is simply delicious! You can learn to cook this delicious meal by simply following the tips outlined above!
Resource: BBC News
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