15,000 naira

Jollof Rice! The unofficial national dish of Nigeria. There’s no celebration without jollof. It is eaten nationwide so there are various recipes for Jollof rice and they all depend on the region or ethnicity preparing it. But they are use the same stew base. 

However, the party jollof rice has a bit more prestige compared to home-cooked Jollof rice. Party jollof rice are usually very authentic in taste, richer and far more delicious. To achieve this, i like to add butter to the rice because the butter gives it a very rich taste and a lush consistency. To also get an inviting sharp red color, i blend a handful of shombo alongside the tomatoes and scotch bonnet peppers.

Without too much discussion, here’s how to achieve the perfect Nigerian party jollof rice.

Ready in 45minutes

Serves 6 people

826 calories 

Ingredients

• 4 Cups of Parboiled Rice (2000 naira)
• Fresh Tomatoes and Ata rodo Peppers (1500 naira)
• Shombo Peppers (500 naira)
• 1 Kilo of Frozen Chicken (7000 naira)
• 2 Sachets of Tomato Paste (500 naira)
• 2 Big Onions (400 naira)
• Poweroil Vegetable oil (1500 naira)
• Sachet of Margarine (700 naira)
• Fresh Ginger and Garlic, grated (300 naira)
• Sachet Curry powder and Thyme (200 naira)
• Any Chicken seasoning of your choice (200 naira)
• Chicken Seasoning cubes (200 naira)
• Bay Leaves (100 naira)
• Salt to Taste

Preparation

• First blend the peppers, tomatoes and 1 onion to a smooth paste and set aside. Next, wash and season your chicken with half sliced onions, chicken seasoning, grated garlic and ginger, 2 seasoning cubes, 3 bay leaves and some curry and thyme powder. Add enough water and salt to taste then cook the chicken till tender. The water from cooking the chicken will serve as the stock for the rice so make sure to season your chicken properly and add enough water to it.

• When the chicken is tender, strain the stock and set aside. Then fry the chicken in deep hot oil till they are golden brown and crispy.
• In a large pot add some vegetable oil, place on medium heat, add half sliced onion into it and let it fry till fragrant. Introduce the blended pepper and tomato paste, 2 seasoning cubes, curry and thyme powder, and 2 bay leaves, cover and let it fry till oil begins to float to the top. This should take 15 to 20 minutes.

• While the stew is frying, parboil your rice for 5-8 minutes with little water on low heat. You can also decide not to parboil and simply wash your rice thoroughly to rid it of starch and set aside. I prefer to parboil my rice but should still be very firm and not soft when i set aside.
• When the sauce is ready, oil floats to the top, then I’ll add the chicken stock, cover and let it fry for a further 8-10 minutes.
• Now add the washed rice to the stew and combine thoroughly, ensure the stew is only about a cm over the rice when combined, and add very little water, adding as you go.

• When the rice is fully combined, add the butter and mix to incorporate. Cover and let the rice cook till it softens. Ensure to stir every now and then with a WOODEN spoon; this prevents clumps and doesn’t break the rice up. Cook on low heat and add little amount of stock or water as you go, be careful not to add too much. Jollof rice needs steam to cook and not water, and will definitely burn a little, this is what gives it the distinctive smokey flavour.

• When the rice is soft enough, add some sliced onion rings and optionally some sliced tomato and stir. This should be added just a couple of minutes before final doneness. Combine thoroughly and switch off the heat but leave the pot covered so it can cooked the onions and tomato with the residual heat for another minute or two and your Nigerian Party Jollof Rice is ready.

Tips

Nigerian Party Jollof Rice is a delight to any occasion regardless of the type of celebration. It has a bright and savory taste recognizable to any Nigerian tastebuds. This Nigerian Party Jollof Rice recipe is a game changer and will definitely get you invited to the next cookout.