Jollof rice – a West African one pot wonder

Jolly and tasty jollof rice

80 mins Cook 11.2k Views

There is much discussion about jollof rice and which recipe is the most authentic. Jollof rice, also known as benachin in Wolof (‘one pot’), is a one-pot rice dish popular in many West African countries. There are a lot of recipes out there, here is our version which can be cooked easily and without hassle in your rice cooker. A lovely tomato-y, spicy dish that can be vegan/vegetarian or served with meat. This recipe has the wow factor for any table!

AuthorHungry PandaCategory, DifficultyIntermediate

Yields4 Servings
Prep Time30 minsCook Time50 minsTotal Time1 hr 20 mins

 400 ml tomato passata
 3 tbsp tomato purée
 2 fresh red Scotch bonnet chillies, de-seeded (reduce if you want it less spicy)
 2 onions, chopped
 2 red peppers, de-seeded and roughly chopped
 8 garlic cloves, peeled
 3 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
 2 tsp ground coriander
 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
 2 tbsp olive oil
 150 g cherry tomatoes, halved
 1 chicken stock cube (or vegetable stock), mixed with 150ml of hot water
 2 bay leaves
 3 cups long grain rice (jasmine or basmati) *this is rice cooker measuring cups
 small handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped
 salt and pepper to taste

1

Put the rice in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and leave to drain.

2

Put the tomato passata, tomato purée, Scotch bonnets, onions, red peppers, garlic, rosemary, thyme, ground coriander and smoked paprika into a blender or food processor and blitz until smooth.

3

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the cherry tomatoes and the sauce, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat slightly and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4

Add bay leaves, a pinch of salt and a large pinch of black pepper and stir to combine.

5

Put the rice into your rice cooker bowl, add the sauce and then add the stock.

6

Stir well, if the liquid doesn't come to the '4' mark on the inner bowl, add more water.

7

Select the "LONG GRAIN", "WHITE" or "REGULAR" setting on your rice cooker and press "START".

8

Serve the rice with coriander scattered over.

Ingredients

 400 ml tomato passata
 3 tbsp tomato purée
 2 fresh red Scotch bonnet chillies, de-seeded (reduce if you want it less spicy)
 2 onions, chopped
 2 red peppers, de-seeded and roughly chopped
 8 garlic cloves, peeled
 3 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
 2 tsp ground coriander
 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
 2 tbsp olive oil
 150 g cherry tomatoes, halved
 1 chicken stock cube (or vegetable stock), mixed with 150ml of hot water
 2 bay leaves
 3 cups long grain rice (jasmine or basmati) *this is rice cooker measuring cups
 small handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped
 salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1

Put the rice in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and leave to drain.

2

Put the tomato passata, tomato purée, Scotch bonnets, onions, red peppers, garlic, rosemary, thyme, ground coriander and smoked paprika into a blender or food processor and blitz until smooth.

3

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the cherry tomatoes and the sauce, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat slightly and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4

Add bay leaves, a pinch of salt and a large pinch of black pepper and stir to combine.

5

Put the rice into your rice cooker bowl, add the sauce and then add the stock.

6

Stir well, if the liquid doesn't come to the '4' mark on the inner bowl, add more water.

7

Select the "LONG GRAIN", "WHITE" or "REGULAR" setting on your rice cooker and press "START".

8

Serve the rice with coriander scattered over.

Notes

Jollof rice – a West African one pot wonder
IngredientsDirections
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This jollof rice can be served as a side dish with chicken or tofu or as a main dish with a side salad to complement it.