Chicken Jollof Rice African Recipe - Recipes From A Pantry (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient in jollof rice? ›

Tomato paste is the secret to the signature reddy Jollof Rice colour. So, for every 3 cups of Jollof rice, you'll need 3 Red Bell Peppers, 2 Small Tomatoes and 70g of tomato paste.

Some of my favourite seasonings to use are:

Tumeric. Nutmeg. Paprika powder. Herbs other than just thyme which is great, but oregano and bay leaf are special.

And the winner of best jollof rice goes to The Gambia!

There are three main types of jollof that have been recognized worldwide. The Nigerians are known for their smoky jollof (in some regions it's spicier than others). The Ghanaians are known for their perfumed jollof rice where they use a basmati or jasmine rice.

Tomatoes give jollof rice its unique reddish colour. Fresh tomatoes are best used to prepare large quantities of jollof rice as they are cheaper than processed purees. Along with tomatoes, scotch bonnet also contributes to the colour of the rice.

While the white pepper and bay leaf give your Jollof rice a prominent flavour and taste, butter gives it a rich look and taste. Jollof rice needs steam and not liquid to cook perfectly. You'll need to trap in as much heat as you possibly can to achieve the perfect consistency.

Purée gives your jollof that red colour so please ensure you're adding enough and also let it fry and the flavours release. 3. Make sure the brand of tomatoes you're using is not bitter!! Sometimes stew will naturally have a bit of a bitter taste, you can use brown sugar or baking soda to help.

But depending on the quantity you are cooking, don't over use bayleaf if not, your jollof will taste quite bitter. So just 2/3 small leaves is OK for jollof rice for 4 mouths. -Another ingredient is Butter, in place of vegetble oil. Butter is one ingredient to this thing called party jollof rice.

Ghanaian Jollof rice is often fluffier and less moist than Nigerian Jollof rice, which tends to have a softer texture. Both versions of Jollof rice are delicious and have unique flavors and characteristics. The debate over who makes the best jollof rice is a matter of personal taste and preference.

Who won the best jollof rice? ›

While some celebrated The Gambia's win, others expressed their disbelief at their win. Ava Dadonness tweeted, “The Gambia is the champion of Jollof!!!

Jollof rice is Nigeria's national dish that is believed to be the origin of the popular Cajun dish known as jambalaya. The other name for the dish is benachin, meaning one pot in the native language of the Wolof people who created it.

Jollof rice shouldn't really be boiled, rather it should be infused with steam. Therefore when cooking, make sure you use equal parts of water and rice. Never let the water drown the rice. Use the same measure for both and let the steam do its part.

Unique Flavors of Jollof Rice

It is this diverse mix of spices, combined with a mastery of heat control, that gives the dish its signature taste. The tangy tomatoes, the spicy peppers, and the aromatic blend of herbs all contribute to the delectable its taste.

The smoked paprika is a cheat to add the smoky flavour that is typically achieved through cooking on firewood or coals. I love adding vegetables to jollof.

Jollof rice traditionally consists of rice, cooking oil, tomatoes, onion, chilies, and often some combination of other ingredients such as tomato paste, bell pepper, garlic, ginger, thyme, curry powder, grains of selim, and bouillon cubes or stock; recipes vary from country to country and cook to cook.

A tip is to make sure the pepper is more than raw tomatoes used. Using more raw tomatoes will water down the colour of your Jollof rice. Tomato purée is the secret to the signature red Jollof colour.