Rice

Nigerian Jollof Rice

Name: Nigerian Jollof Rice
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 65 min
Total time: 95 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Nigerian
Ingredients: 500 g long-grain parboiled rice (dry, not ready-cooked rice); 400 g plum tomatoes (fresh or canned); 300 g red bell peppers (seeded); 200 g onions (100 g roughly chopped, 100 g finely sliced); 1 Scotch bonnet pepper (optional or to taste); 75 ml neutral oil; 60 g tomato paste; 2 garlic cloves (minced); 10 g fresh ginger (grated); 2 tsp curry powder (Nigerian-style if available); 1 tsp dried thyme; 2 dried bay leaves; 700 ml low-salt chicken or vegetable stock (hot); 250 ml additional hot water (reserve for adjusting); 0.75 tsp fine salt (less if stock is salty)

Long-grain rice steamed in a concentrated tomato-pepper base with curry, thyme, and bay. Jollof’s history reaches westward to the Wolof-Senegambian region, rather than beginning in Nigeria. Nigerian cooks developed a widely loved version with tomato and pepper, aromatic seasoning, and firm separate grains. Ozoz Sokoh describes its place at both celebrations and ordinary family meals; the different national versions reflect a shared, evolving West African tradition. Cultural context: A Nigerian version of a wider West African rice tradition with Senegambian roots; no exclusively Nigerian invention claim is made.

Jollof rice with a sauced meat accompaniment

Photo by Adewuyi Israel · CC BY-SA 4.0

Image details

Resized and cropped for display. Image remains under its original license.

20 minPreparation

65 minCooking

6Servings

Allow 10 additional minutes for resting / soaking. Total: 95 minutes.

What you’ll need

6 servings

Let’s get cooking

1
Blend tomatoes, peppers, chilli, and roughly chopped onion until smooth. Rinse rice in several changes of water and drain.
2
Heat oil in a heavy pot with a tight lid. Soften sliced onion for 4–5 minutes, then stir in tomato paste and cook for 4 minutes, stirring.
3
Add garlic and ginger for 1 minute. Pour in the pepper blend carefully and simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes, stirring often, until thick and no longer watery.
4
Stir in curry powder, thyme, bay leaves, and salt. Add the drained rice and coat it thoroughly with the sauce.
5
Pour in the 700 ml hot stock and bring to a simmer. Cover tightly and immediately lower the heat. Cook for 25 minutes without repeatedly opening the lid.
6
Gently turn the rice from bottom to top once. If the grains are still hard and the pot is dry, add 50–100 ml reserved hot water. Cover and cook another 10–15 minutes, adding more water only if necessary.
7
When grains are tender with no chalky centre and the liquid is absorbed, switch off the heat. Rest covered for 10 minutes, remove bay leaves, and fluff gently before serving.

A little kitchen wisdom

Liquid needs vary by rice brand and the concentration of the sauce; small corrective additions are safer than flooding the pot. This stovetop recipe does not require deliberately burning the base for smoke. Serve with dodo, moi moi, or cooked meat as separate accompaniments. Timing: active preparation 20 min; cooking 65 min; additional passive time 10 min; conservative planning allowance 95 min. Some stages may overlap. For Recipe.ng display, prep_minutes includes the additional passive time; it is not all hands-on work. Recipe status: Research draft; not kitchen-tested. Allergens and checks: Check stock and curry powder for declared allergens, including celery, mustard, wheat, or soy

Recipe notes & sources

Research draft; not kitchen-tested

Also known as: Jollof

A Nigerian version of a wider West African rice tradition with Senegambian roots; no exclusively Nigerian invention claim is made.

Allergens: Check stock and curry powder for declared allergens, including celery, mustard, wheat, or soy

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Photo by Adewuyi Israel · CC BY-SA 4.0

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