FOODY CORNERS

CHAPTER 11: JOLLOF RICE

• JOLLOF RICE

Ingredients:
 Rice
 Tomato
 Pepper
 Seasoned cube
 Salt
 Onions
 Curry
 Thyme
 Beef or Chicken stock
 Ginger
 Garlic 
 Bay leaf

Preparation tips:
Parboil the rice, blend the tomato with Onions, Ginger, Garlic, Chili Pepper and Turmeric.

Preparation:
1. Depending on the quantity of rice you’re cooking, add the appropriate oil into a pot and turn on the heat. Add salt and sliced Onions, once it starts sizzling, add the blend of Tomatoes with the other ingredients. Leave the pot open and allow to fry till you can see the oil on top. Remember to stir often.
2. Taste the Tomato, if it still tastes sour, let it fry for some more time. Some people mix the Tomato paste with the Tomato blend before frying while some add it when they see the oil rising on top. Whichever way is good.
3. After adding the paste, stir often to avoid sticking to the pot and burning. After some minutes, you can add in seasonal cubes and spices and more onions and salt, stir and bring down. The Jollof stew is ready.
4. In another pot, pour in your stock and allow to boil, then add in your parboiled rice. If the stock is too small for the rice, you can add more water, let it boil, before pouring the rice. The water should be the same level and never above the rice.
5. Add your ingredients, Salt, Seasoning Cubes, Onions, Pepper, Curry, Thyme, Ginger and Garlic etc. Do not stir. Add in half of the Tomato sauce you made and leave the rest for the last part.
6. After a while, check the rice, use your spoon or ladle and scoop the sides of the pot just to allow the water at the top to go down, then cover and lower the heat.
7. When the rice is done, stir and lower the heat to the lowest level. Taste and then add the remaining tomato sauce and stir. Sometimes I leave some onions I will add after cooking.
8. And voila, your Jollof rice is ready to serve.

Serving:
Serve with chilled drink, fried Chicken or Beef, Plantain, Eggs, vegetables, coleslaw etc.