~Jollof Bliss~
Praise Chukwuegu@praisechukwuegu960554
8 months ago
Jollof is culturally important in most of West Africa to the point there is a common saying, "A party without Jollof is just a meeting". In Nigeria the term, "See Jollof" means "see how much fun is being had" according to Nigerian food historia Ozoz Sokoh.
However, historical evidence suggests that the dish has been a part of West African culinary traditions for centuries. The Wolof people, who are predominantly found in Senegal, are credited with the dish's early development.
This is a recipe of how I make my jollof rice.
2 servings
Things needed:
4 plum tomatoes
½ bell pepper
1 red onion
1 thumb-size fresh ginger
2 tsp of garlic
2 tsp of ginger
1 scotch bonnet pepper
¼ cup sunflower oil
1 cup rice
1 tsp paprika powder
1 tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 bay leaf
seasoning cubes
1 ½ tsp salt
1 cup vegetable stock
2 ripe plantains
2 boiled eggs
1 kg of chicken
Instructions
*Place the chicken into a pot. Add in about one quarter of the diced onion. Add in two tablespoons of the blended garlic and ginger, half teaspoon of the white pepper, one and a half teaspoons of salt and 2 teaspoons of chicken bouillon powder. Toss everything to combine
*Add 2 cups of water to the chicken. Bring to a boil on high heat then let it simmer on medium heat for about 18 minutes.
*Add fresh tomatoes to the blender and blend to a paste. Do not add water while blending. Pour the blended tomatoes into a medium saucepan. Let it cook on medium heat for 20 minutes until the tomatoes shrink. Do not stir while the tomatoes cook down.
*Remove the chicken from its stock using a thong and place in a colander to drain. Reserve the stock.
*Place oil in a frying pan up to 2 inches. Let the oil heat up then add the chicken to the oil and fry until golden brown. When one side turns golden, flip to the other side.
Remove fried chicken and place on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Let the oil cool down then take out one cup of oil to cook the rice.
*Place one cup of the oil used in frying the chicken into a non-stick or heavy bottom pot. Let the oil heat up then add the remaining onions. Sauté for two minutes while stirring from time to time until the onions are fragrant.
*Add the tomato paste, stir and allow to fry. Then add the cooked tomatoes Stir and allow to sizzle, then place a lid over it, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.
*After simmering for 20 minutes, remove the lid, then add the spices and seasonings (White pepper, thyme, nutmeg, bay leaf, seasoning cubes and salt). Stir altogether
*Wash the rice 3-4 times to remove the excess starch. Add the washed rice to the pot with tomato sauce. Stir well to combine.
*Add in the reserved 2 cups of chicken stock, the remaining one teaspoon of salt, two teaspoons of chicken bouillon powder, half teaspoon of white pepper and 2 bay leaves. Stir everything to combine.
*Place a piece of aluminum foil into the pot, covering the entire surface of the rice (this will keep the steam in), then place a lid over the pot. Remember jollof doesn't need water to cook but steam.
*Cook for 20 minutes on low heat (Stirring occasionally to cook the rice evenly and also to prevent it from burning at the bottom).
*Remove the lid, bin the aluminum foil and give the rice a gentle stir, then return the lid and cook for another 5 minutes.
*Fry Plantain, Add salt if desired. Your jollof rice is ready to enjoy.😋
Accompaniment:
Plantain
Fried/barbecued chicken
Moimoi
Boiled egg
Blended mango and yogurt
Pineapple juice
cooked by me😋
photo taken by me 📷
#Jollofphoto
#JollofNircleChallenge
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#JollofRiceChallenge
