Chicken Jollof Rice African Recipe - Recipes From A Pantry (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient in jollof rice? ›

6) The Two Secret Ingredients:

White pepper is added along with the spices and seasoning while Butter is added at the end, say a few minutes to doneness. White pepper give Jollof rice its prominent flavour and taste while Butter gives it a rich look and taste.

This traditional Nigerian dish brings out the best possible flavor of rice and chicken. Chicken is first sauteed on the stove top to produce a wonderful aromatic base for the rice. For an extra special and authentic touch, serve jollof rice with fried plantains.

Jollof Rice Makes a Nutritious Meal

Jollof rice is also rich in vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, and magnesium. Vitamin A is important for eye health, while vitamin C helps to boost the immune system, especially important when traveling.

You are not using enough tomato/pepper blend

You blend 2 pieces of tomatoes, 1 chili pepper, 1 red bell pepper and half an onion and hope to make enough rice for a small wedding. Ko le werk. The key to an awesome Jollof rice experience is that each grain of rice is saturated in the delicious Jollof sauce.

Cook the pureed mixture in a pot with hot cooking oil over medium-high heat. Stir together and place a lid over it, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the spices and seasonings (Paprika, thyme, nutmeg, bay leaf, and salt), then add the rice and vegetable or meat stock and stir together.

Two other kinds of Jollof are popular, Party and Native Jollof. Party Jollof, also called Party rice, is imbued with smoky flavors and commonly cooked outdoors, over firewood.

White pepper and Bay leaves are added alongside spices and seasonings when frying the tomato puree, while butter is added at the end; a few minutes before the rice is ready. While the white pepper and bay leaf give your Jollof rice a prominent flavour and taste, butter gives it a rich look and taste.

Each country has its own unique style of preparing and seasoning jollof rice, and the debate over which is best largely comes down to personal preference. Some people prefer the spicier, tomato-based jollof rice from Nigeria, while others prefer the milder, smoky flavor of Ghanaian jollof rice.

In Nigeria, fufu (akpu) is made solely from fermented cassava giving it its unique thickness compared to that found in other west African countries. It is eaten with a variety of soups with vegetables and lots of beef and fish.

What to serve with Jollof Rice? Jollof rice is traditionally served with coleslaw/Ghanaian salad, a side of sh*to and grilled protein.

Can I eat jollof rice at night? ›

Rice should not be eaten at night if you are often prone to cough and cold. Rice can be eaten at night when the heat in the stomach or body increases. Apart from this, diabetic patients or people above 50 years of age should not eat rice at night.

Like many traditional West African ingredients and dishes, fufu has immense health benefits: Not only is it low in cholesterol, it is rich in fiber, potassium and resistant starch, which feeds the beneficial bacteria in your gut and may help reduce inflammation and promote digestive health, and contains vitamin C, ...

Popular chef, Hilda Baci has weighed in on the Ghanaian jollof vs Nigerian jollof debate. According to Baci, Nigerian jollof is the better version, alluding to the flavour building it comes with. The former Guinness World Record holder made this known when speaking in the latest episode of the 90s Baby Show.

Tomatoes give jollof rice its unique reddish colour. Fresh tomatoes are best used to prepare large quantities of jollof rice as they are cheaper than processed purees. Along with tomatoes, scotch bonnet also contributes to the colour of the rice. But it also adds extra spice.

Lerato's tips: “The smoked paprika is a cheat to add the smoky flavour that is typically achieved through cooking on firewood or coals. I love adding vegetables to jollof – raid your fridge for leftovers.” “Jollof rice is at its best cooked low and slow for perfectly plumped grains.

While the white pepper and bay leaf give your Jollof rice a prominent flavour and taste, butter gives it a rich look and taste. Jollof rice needs steam and not liquid to cook perfectly. You'll need to trap in as much heat as you possibly can to achieve the perfect consistency.

A tip is to make sure the pepper is more than raw tomatoes used. Using more raw tomatoes will water down the colour of your Jollof rice. Tomato purée is the secret to the signature red Jollof colour. Substitute the rest of the needed tomatoes for tomato purée.