Nigerian jollof rice
Long-grain rice dyed red-orange by a base of tomato, bell pepper and chili, perfumed with bay leaf and curry, whose slightly caramelized bottom (the "party jollof") is the most coveted part.
Long-grain rice dyed red-orange by a base of tomato, bell pepper and chili, perfumed with bay leaf and curry, whose slightly caramelized bottom (the "party jollof") is the most coveted part.
Ah, jollof! Don't get me started on the debate with our Ghanaian neighbors — ours is the best, that's all. The day there is something to celebrate, and believe me a physicist always finds a reason to celebrate a discovery, it is jollof that brings out the big pot. The trick my mother taught me: let the rice stick just a little to the bottom, that burnt crust called 'party jollof', that is where all the flavor lives. We eat it with chicken, golden plantain, and laugh loudly. That is my festive table.
- •Long-grain rice — for the whole family (base)
- •Tomatoes and red bell peppers — one large basket (red base)
- •Fresh chili peppers — by hand (heat)
- •Oil (palm or peanut) — a good amount (cooking fat)
- •Onions — several (aromatic base)
- •Chicken or meat — according to guests (accompaniment)
- •Bay leaf, salt, spices — to taste (flavor)
Nigerian jollof rice
Long-grain rice dyed red-orange by a base of tomato, bell pepper and chili, perfumed with bay leaf and curry, whose slightly caramelized bottom (the "party jollof") is the most coveted part.
Why this dish? Jollof rice tops the known diet of Francisca Okeke. In Nigeria, it is THE party dish for baptisms, weddings and celebrations — exactly the kind of dish you would imagine served to honor a L'Oréal-UNESCO awardee returning to Nsukka.
Ah, jollof! Don't get me started on the debate with our Ghanaian neighbors — ours is the best, that's all. The day there is something to celebrate, and believe me a physicist always finds a reason to celebrate a discovery, it is jollof that brings out the big pot. The trick my mother taught me: let the rice stick just a little to the bottom, that burnt crust called 'party jollof', that is where all the flavor lives. We eat it with chicken, golden plantain, and laugh loudly. That is my festive table.
Ingredients (period version)
- Long-grain rice — for the whole family (base)
- Tomatoes and red bell peppers — one large basket (red base)
- Fresh chili peppers — by hand (heat)
- Oil (palm or peanut) — a good amount (cooking fat)
- Onions — several (aromatic base)
- Chicken or meat — according to guests (accompaniment)
- Bay leaf, salt, spices — to taste (flavor)
Ingredients
- Long-grain rice (basmati or fragrant) — 500 g (base)
- Crushed tomatoes — 400 g (red base)
- Red bell peppers — 2 (sweetness and color)
- Scotch bonnet chili — 1 (heat)
- Tomato paste — 2 tbsp (depth)
- Onion — 2 (aromatic base)
- Vegetable oil — 80 ml (cooking fat)
- Curry, thyme, bay leaf, bouillon cube, salt — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Blend tomatoes, bell peppers, chili and one onion to obtain a red purée.
- Sauté sliced onion in oil, add tomato paste and let it caramelize.
- Pour in the purée and reduce for 15 minutes until the oil surfaces and the acidity subsides.
- Add spices, bay leaf, broth, then the rinsed rice; stir to coat well.
- Cover tightly and cook on low heat without stirring, letting a slight bottom crust form (the 'party jollof').
- Fluff with a fork and serve with chicken and fried plantain.
How it was made : Jollof descends from a rice dish of the Wolof Empire (Senegambia) spread throughout West Africa. Over a wood fire, the pot was covered with banana leaves to trap steam and achieve that characteristic aroma impossible to replicate on a stove.
The contemporary twist : Served as an unmolded timbale, topped with a shard of fried plantain and a fine julienne of onion — without denying the burnt bottom scraped in secret.
Francisca Nneka Okeke · Charactorium