Jollof Rice

For letter J, we have jollof rice!  This Nigerian rice dish is beautifully flavored and quite spicy, feel free to reduce the amount of spicy pepper if you are not used to it.  I used one pepper for a half batch and it was quite spicy but not lose the tongue hot.  Spice is also very filling.  Youngest thought this tasted very much like our favorite yellow curry and the flavors are indeed similar.  Love the curry addition.

Jollof Rice
from Zena's Kitchen

For the sauce:
1 red bell pepper, cut into small pieces
2 medium vine tomatoes, cut into small pieces
1 red onion, quartered
1-2 scotch bonnet chilies, quartered (I used a habanero)
3 garlic cloves, smashed
25g fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
100ml water

For the rice:
150ml vegetable oil (~⅔ cup scant)
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
150g (10 tbsp) double concentrated tomato paste
1 tbsp curry powder
2 tsp dried thyme (I used fresh, 1½ tbsp)
3 chicken stock cubes (or equivalent in bouillon base or demi-glace)
2 dried bay leaves
600ml water
600g white basmati rice (3 cups) (I used jasmine rice on hand)
salt and pepper to taste

1 vine tomato, chopped

Place all the ingredients for the sauce in a blender and puree until smooth.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven on medium heat.  Add the onion and saute for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the tomato paste and stir until blended and continue until it is fragrant and slightly darkened, 3 to 5 minutes.

Pour in the blended sauce, stirring to combine and bring it all to a simmer.  Reduce heat to medium-low and partially cover the pot with the lid - this will splatter!  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has reduced by about a third of its original volume and the oil begins to separate from the sauce, about 12 to 15 minutes.
   
Add the curry powder, thyme, stock cubes, bay leaves and water, and stir to blend. Season generously with salt and pepper, taste and adjust, then cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
   
Rinse the rice with cold water until the water runs clear, then drain. Add the rice to the boiling sauce and stir to combine. Top with the diced red pepper.  As soon as it comes to back a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 25 minutes.

At the end of the cooking time, the rice should have absorbed all the liquid and be cooked through.  If it is still saucy, remove the lid and simmer a little longer to reduce.  Remove the bay leaves, give the rice a stir and you’re ready to serve, traditionally with grilled chicken and fried plantain.

We had ours with a whole chicken roasted on the barbecue.  Delicious!

Here are some more letter J recipes:

• Sneha’s Recipe: Jeerem Meerem Powder/Cladin Masala-Homemade
• Blogghetti: Easy Crock Pot Chicken Jambalaya 
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Armenian Jajukh Salad
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Jalapeno Corn 
• Food Lust People Love: Small Batch Strawberry Jam
• A Messy Kitchen: Jollof Rice 
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Thai-Style Turkey and Jasmine Rice Soup
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Jamaican Jerk Chicken 
• Culinary Cam: Inspired by a One-Word Text: Jjamppong 
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Sweet & Spicy Jalapeño Canned Tomato Salsa
• Magical Ingredients: Jalapeno Popper Dip