Jollof rice starts with a base of rice and tomatoes, and then adds fragrant spices, local vegetables, and sometimes meat. It is a West African staple, deriving originally from the Wolof people of Northwestern Senegal, who call the dish benachin. Although it is commonly served at celebrations throughout West Africa, the dish is also the source of a lot of contention in the region, with each country claiming their variety to be the first—and the best. In the United States, a Jollof festival is held in Washington, D.C., and World Jollof Rice day is celebrated on the 22nd of August.
Recipe Servings: 6
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Total Time
1 hour 5 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- ½ habanero pepper, stem removed
- ½ onion, chopped
- 2 red bell peppers, chopped
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 1½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 Tbsp dried thyme
- 2½ cups rice
- Additional cooked vegetables or meat, as desired
Directions
- Combine tomatoes, habanero pepper, and onion in a blender and purée until smooth.
- Pour half the mixture into a bowl, and then add the bell peppers to the purée remaining in the blender. Pulse until smooth. Add to the mixture that was set aside and stir to combine.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large pot. Add puréed vegetables and salt, curry powder, ground cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, bay leaves, ginger, and thyme. Bring mixture to a boil.
- Stir in the rice until well mixed; then reduce the heat to low.
- Cover pot and let cook about 45 minutes. Check after 30 minutes; if rice is too wet, remove the lid to cook off the excess sauce. If rice seems dry, stir in 1–2 cups water.
- Remove bay leaves before serving and stir in additional cooked vegetables or meat if desired.
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