West African-Inspired Jollof Rice Recipe

"Jollof rice is a popular West African rice dish that was traditionally cooked over a fire, though these days it's most often made on the stove-top or in the oven," explains recipe developer Julianne De Witt. The dish is one of many recipes you can find from cuisines throughout the world — jambalaya, risotto, paella, arroz verde — that call for raw rice to be cooked in a flavorful broth. In this recipe, the rice is cooked in both chicken broth and a fiery puree made from habanero chiles, tomatoes, and ginger. "The way it's prepared," she tells us, "ensures that the delicious flavors penetrate every grain of rice."

As jollof rice itself doesn't contain much in the way of protein, it's generally served as a side dish, although De Witt feels that it's "a step up from your usual rice side because of the savory tomatoes, warm spices, and heat from the habaneros." In Nigeria, jollof rice is usually accompanied by spicy bits of chopped meat (beef, chicken, or turkey) along with plantains, boiled or poached eggs, and coleslaw. De Witt, however, tells us "I like to serve this recipe with grilled chicken legs and a simple tomato and onion salad," adding that the leftovers can be refrigerated for up to four days.

De Witt starts her version of jollof rice using basmati rice, which she cooks in chicken stock along with roma tomatoes, red bell peppers, and onions. The dish is flavored with tomato paste, garlic, ginger, habanero peppers, paprika, curry powder, thyme, and bay leaves, while you'll also need salt and olive oil.

Add the tomatoes, red pepper, garlic, ginger, and habaneros to a food processor or blender.

Blend on high until smooth and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Add the onions and saute for 2 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and stir. Cook for 1 minute.

Next add the paprika, curry powder, thyme, salt, and blended tomato pepper sauce. Stir.

Bring the sauce to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes to incorporate the flavors.

Stir in the stock.

Add the rice and bay leaves. Stir.

Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, and simmer for 15 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed into the rice.

Remove the lid and fluff the rice using a fork.

Garnish with cilantro, if desired, and serve.

De Witt tells us that in West Africa jollof rice is made with scotch bonnet chiles, but adds, "As they can be hard to source, I substitute habaneros" since these peppers are similar in both flavor and heat level. If you do not crave the pain of spice, however, you can easily dial back on the heat level in this jollof rice recipe.

De Witt says one way to make this spicy dish milder would be to reduce the number of chiles and suggests using just one, but you could even go with half a pepper if you prefer. Milder varieties of chiles like fresnos (her recommendation), manzanos, or jalapeños could be used instead, while you could always omit the peppers entirely if you wish. Should other people be eating this jollof rice, too, De Witt suggests: "You could even serve a habanero hot sauce on the side to accommodate different palates." If you'd like to try making your own, we just happen to have a homemade habanero hot sauce recipe.

As the name implies, jollof rice is all about the rice, so perfecting the dish means cooking the rice just right. It all starts with the type of rice — De Witt favors basmati, which is traditional for the Ghanaian version of jollof rice, which tends to be mild and not spicy. Nigerian jollof rice, which is the spicier kind, is typically made with long-grain white rice, and De Witt says it's okay to use this, for this recipe, too. As for rinsing the rice, De Witt explains that doing so removes some of the surface starch, saying "In theory, it makes the rice fluffier." She doesn't find it necessary, however, so she doesn't include the step in this recipe.

"Perfect jollof rice," says De Witt, "is achieved by steaming rather than boiling," which is true of rice in general. She does say, though, that if the rice is still crunchy once the liquid is absorbed, you shouldn't add more liquid but instead let it cook longer. Turn off the heat so it doesn't scorch, but cover the top of the pan with aluminum foil to trap the residual heat and moisture. Once the rice is done, De Witt tells us it "should be fluffy and fully cooked but not mushy."