Nigeria Jollof Rice

Ingredients for Jollof Rice

4 cups of rice
1kg beef
1000ml of Ground Fresh tomatoes.
50ml Ground Fresh peppers
1 Teaspoon Curry powder
1 teaspoon Thyme
1 teaspoon Nutmeg powder
3 seasoning cubes
2 cups of sliced onions
300ml vegetable or groundnut oil
salt to taste.
2 cloves of garlic
2 fingers of ginger

These are some fresh ripe tomatoes and pepper (scotch bonnet). I think any species of tomato would serve the same purpose, just wash, squeeze out water inside the tomatoes, blend as is and set aside.

You need around 1000ml for 4 cups of rice.

Alternatively, you could use canned tomatoes or a combination of both canned and fresh (ground tomatoes)

Step by Step Preparation

Step 1
Parboil the beef (or any meat of your choice) with the spices listed above. I like to use lots of them so as to end up with very tasty beef. And then prepare the main food with the meat stock (meat water).

Step 2
Add water so that more than half of the entire beef is submerged, then add 2 seasoning cubes, a teaspoon of beef seasoning spice, 1 cup of sliced onions, one teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon each of curry/thyme.

Peel of the outer back of the ginger/garlic, pound or grind.

Step 3
Parboil rice the normal way, boil about 7 cups of water in a pot, add the four cups of rice and allow to boil for 3 minutes. Then pour out and wash thoroughly with clean water then set aside in a bowl or plastic sieve.

Step 4
Pick out the parboiled tasty beef and deep fry, this wouldn’t take more than 10 minutes.

Cooked beef on the left side and the stock on the right side. This beef stock is very important in Nigerian cooking.

Once you are done with frying the beef, reduce the oil to 250ml (1 cup) just add the remaining one cup of sliced onions, stir for 1-2 minutes and add the ground tomatoes. I like to commence cooking jollof rice with the same oil I used while frying the meat.

Using a fresh oil is just the same as cooking without the beef stock (meat water) which actually holds over 70 percent of the ingredient that is used in making most Nigerian foods, the end result is not the same.

How to Make Nigerian Jollof Rice.

Step 5
Frying the tomatoes would take about 20 minutes.

Fry until when you lift a portion with your frying spoon you will notice the oil continues to boil in the spoon.

You also notice the tomatoes turning dark.

Step 6
Once the tomato is well fried, remove half and set aside. add the meat water to the remaining fried tomato in the pot, the ground ginger/garlic, a teaspoon each of curry and thyme, two teaspoons of salt then add 3 cups of water.

750ml (Please use the recommended cups), add another seasoning cube. Stir and taste, it should taste overly spiced. Don’t worry, once the rice is added the taste would balance.

Step 7
Then add the rice and cover to cook.

Add the fried tomatoes you initially removed, (I do this so my rice doesn’t start burning before it is properly cooked.

Then just cook till the rice is soft for consumption, Remember that you can add water occasionally.

Voila!!!

Turn and serve with the fried meat.

This is just how to make jollof rice, you can serve with the fried meat, salad and maybe a bottle of your favorite drink