Welcome to The Storied Recipe Podcast, a podcast about food, culture, and love.
I host a unique podcast where every guest gives me a recipe that's significant to their culture, life, and memories. I make, photograph, and share the recipe with you. I invite you to listen to Ify's story as you make her Jollof Rice.
I'll admit trepidation as share a Jollof Rice recipe. This is a classic Nigerian dish that is served throughout West Africa. Like every recipe that any culture holds close to its heart, there is a great deal of passion and competition among nations and families regarding the "best" Nigerian Jollof Rice recipe. But as Ify diplomatically says, "The best one is the one you eat at home." Well said, Ify! 😉 And this recipe is the one Ify and her family have made for Ify's whole life.
No matter to which nation or version of Jollof Rice one's loyalties lie, everyone agrees that this is a delicious rice dish, made flavorful by slowly steaming the rice in a rich, spicy tomato broth. It has actually been submitted here on The Storied Recipe before, by another guest (Liz Zunon), in an entirely different form and name - Riz au Gras is the Ivorian name that Liz gave me for her version of the dish. Both times I've made the recipe, my family has loved it, eaten seconds, and asked that I make it again. That's a recipe worth trying!
Episodes Related to This Jollof Rice Recipe:
Episode 046: Jollof Rice with Ify Ogbue
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Recipe
Nigerian Jollof Rice
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
The classic Nigerian Jollof Rice is made flavorful by slowly steaming the rice in a rich, spicy, delicious tomato broth.
Ingredients
Stew/Sauce Ingredient
- 2 cans whole tomatoes
- 1 can crushed tomatoes
- 2 large yellows onions
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 habanero peppers or 1 scotch bonnet (use only if you can tolerate spicy foods)
- 2 1/2 cup canola oil
- Salt to taste
Jollof Rice Ingredients
- 4 cups parboiled white rice
- 5 medium-sized fresh tomatoes
- 1 large onion
- 1 chicken Maggie cube
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 5 bay leaves
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Cue Up The Episode!
Make sure to listen to Ify on The Storied Recipe Podcast, Jollof Rice with Ify Ogbue while you make her Jollof Rice recipe!
Make The Recipe
Broth
- Using a blender, grind whole tomatoes with 1 yellow onion and habanero/scotch bonnet peppers and garlic.
- Roughly chop the remaining onion.
- In a large saucepan set to medium, heat the oil and place the chopped onions into the pot. Sautee for 5 mins.
- Place the blended tomato mixture into the saucepan and add 1 can of crushed tomatoes and stir.
- Allow to cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally
- After 15 minutes, add salt and italian seasoning.
- Allow the sauce to cook for another 45 minutes to a 1 hour or until the sauce is thickened and the tomato is fully cooked. Taste test to ensure the sauce does not taste sour and there is enough salt.
Jollof Rice
- In a large pot, bring 7 cups of water to a boil then add the rice.
- Stir and cook for 5-8 minutes.;Using a sifter pour out the rice over the sink, sift and rinse with cold water to remove excess starch. Rinse until water runs relatively clear.;Roughly chop fresh tomatoes and onions.
- Add 3 cups of water into the pot then add the chopped tomatoes, onions, italian season and Maggie Cube.
- Bring to a boil.
- Add the rinsed rice and some salt.
- Cook at medium heat until the water is almost gone ( at a low point)
- Add approximately 2/3rd cup of the cooked sauce to the rice. Stir and combine thoroughly then set the heat to low.
- Dampen a clean tea towel large enough to cover the pot.
- Place the lid over the towel to steam the rice. ;Allow to steam for 10 – 15 minutes then stir.
- Check to see if the rice has softened and if there is enough sauce and salt to your desired appearance and taste. If not, add some more sauce and sprinkle some water into the rice.
- Cover again with a towel and lid and allow to simmer for another 10 – 15 minutes
- Check to see if rice is cooked to desired texture.
Notes
- Parboiled rice generally takes less time to cook and is firmer than regular white rice when cooked. When using regular white rice, you can simply rinse the rice with warm water until the water runs relatively clear before making the Jollof.
- You can adjust the recipe as needed for a specific serving size. The sauce/stew gives Jollof rice its unique flavor and color. It is important to taste test during the cooking process to ensure there is enough salt—adding salt after the fact will not improve the taste.
- Make sure to listen to Ify on The Storied Recipe Podcast, Jollof Rice with Ify Ogbue while you make her Jollof Rice recipe!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Cuisine: African, Nigerian
Nutrition
- Calories: 300
Would love to hear from you!