Happy World Jollof Rice day!
Jollof rice is one dish that unifies all Nigerians and i dare say Africans. A party/celebration without Jollof is no party at all.
Jollof is a religion to some, and a love language to many including me. It is so easy to prepare and can easily be enhanced with various proteins and vegetables.
To prepare, start with 4 cups of washed long grain parboiled rice.
Fresh tomatoes, peppers and sweet onions (TPO) make the difference. In recent times, we started reducing our “processed food” intake – including canned tomato paste and sauces. This recipe did not include any canned tomatoes, and yet the quintessential “red” Jollof color still came through.
The TPO was blended without water since tomatoes contain a lot of water already.
Add the TPO blend to the rice, 1/2 cup oil, spices, and cook in a covered pot, on low heat for about 15mins until sauce dries up.
The rice will still be hard, so add some water (1/2 cup at a time) and leave to cook on low heat in a covered pot for about 10 more mins.
Add sliced fresh tomatoes, and more water (1/2cup) if needed. Stir to combine.
Leave to cook until all of the water has dried up. Turn off heat and enjoy with any protein of choice.
We enjoyed this jollof tremendously. Take some time out today to prepare jollof in commemoration of “World Jollof Day” .
Oya Come Chop 🙂