Jollof rice — the classic West African recipe with tomatoes, peppers and spices

Jollof is West Africa’s best-loved dish — a reddish, aromatic rice cooked slowly in a sauce of tomatoes, red peppers and spices, until every grain has absorbed all the flavour. As Wikipedia also documents, Nigeria and Ghana have “argued” for years over who makes it best — the so-called “Jollof Wars” — but the Nigerian version, with the light smokiness of the caramelised sauce at the bottom of the pot, is considered the most famous. It is usually served with roast chicken, meat or fish, but it is complete on its own as well.

Ingredients

(for 4–6 servings):

• 400 g long-grain rice
• 800 g well-ripened tomatoes (or 400 g fresh + 400 g canned)
• 2 red peppers
• 1 hot pepper (optional)
• 2 large onions
• 3–4 cloves of garlic
• 120 ml sunflower oil
• 500 ml chicken or vegetable stock (or hot water)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon paprika (preferably smoked)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon curry powder (optional)
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley for serving (optional)

Preparation

1. Blend the tomatoes, red peppers, hot pepper, 1 onion and the garlic in a blender until you have a smooth purée.
2. In a deep pot, heat the oil over medium heat and fry the second onion, finely chopped, until it softens and turns golden.
3. Add the tomato paste and fry for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Pour in the vegetable purée, add the paprika, thyme, bay leaves, curry powder, salt and pepper. Cook for 10–12 minutes, until the sauce thickens and the oil rises to the surface.
5. Add the washed and drained rice and stir well, so that every grain is coated with sauce.
6. Pour in the hot stock, lower the heat to a minimum, cover the pot with a tight lid and leave it to simmer slowly for 25–30 minutes without lifting the lid.
7. Remove from the heat, leave it to rest for 10 minutes with the lid on, remove the bay leaves, fluff the rice with a fork and serve warm, sprinkled with fresh parsley.

Preparation time: 20 minutes. Cooking time: 45 minutes. Servings: 4–6.