Jollof rice
Serves 6. About 1 hour 15 minutes.
Ingredients
Pepper base
- 2 red capsicums, seeds removed, roughly chopped
- 400g tin whole tomatoes
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 1 or 2 red habaneros, stalks removed, or 3 tablespoons Pepper Mix Sauce
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2cm piece ginger
Rice
- 80ml vegetable oil
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 70g tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 stock cubes, crumbled
- 500g long-grain parboiled rice
- 600ml hot water
- Salt, to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter (optional)
To serve
- Fried ripe plantain (see Maduros)
Method
- Blend the pepper base until smooth. Wear gloves to handle the habaneros; one gives a gentle heat, two a proper kick.
- Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Fry the sliced onion for 5 minutes until soft, then add the tomato paste and fry, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes until it darkens.
- Add the pepper base, curry powder, thyme, bay leaves and stock cubes. Simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until it has thickened, reduced by about a third and the oil rises to the top. This is where the flavour comes from, so give it the time.
- Rinse the rice in a sieve until the water runs clear. Stir it into the sauce with the hot water, so that every grain is coated and the rice is only just covered. Taste the liquid and add salt if it needs it. Bring back to a simmer.
- Cover the pan with foil and then the lid, turn the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes without stirring. Check after 20 minutes: if the rice is still hard and the pan looks dry, sprinkle over a few tablespoons of water and cover again.
- When the rice is tender, stir through the butter, fluff it up with a fork and leave it covered for 5 minutes. A little crust on the bottom of the pan is prized. Serve with fried ripe plantain.
Tip: Parboiled rice stays separate and fluffy, which is how jollof should be. Basmati works too, but it needs less liquid and less time: add the water a little at a time and check it after 15 minutes. Cool leftovers quickly and keep them in the fridge for up to 2 days.
