Jollof Rice - A Guide To Mastering The Greatest Rice Dish

Add 5 tomatoes (or 6 if small) to a blender.

Add 2 red bell peppers, 1 whole red onion, 2 habanero peppers, 3 cloves of garlic, and a large knob of ginger to the blender.

Blend until smooth to create the base stew.

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, add a little olive oil and fry the diced red onion until slightly browned and softened.

Squeeze an entire tube of tomato paste into the onions and fry it alongside them.

Add the blended stew to the pot and season with thyme, curry powder, bay leaves, salt, and chicken powder.

Cook the stew on low-medium heat for about 30 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent burning, until the oil starts to separate from the stew.

Add the washed rice and 300-400 g of chicken stock to the pot, ensuring the rice is just covered with liquid.

Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cover tightly for 30 minutes without opening the lid.

While the rice cooks, prepare the suya by blending 50 g of unsalted roasted peanuts, 4 g of smoked paprika, 2 g of cayenne, 3.5 g of onion powder, 3.5 g of garlic powder, 1.2 g of ground ginger, 5 g of chicken powder, a pinch of clove, and black pepper until fine but not turning into peanut butter.

Slice 1.5 lbs of boneless skinless chicken thigh into thin pieces, removing excess fat or veins.

Season the chicken with salt and oil.

If using bamboo skewers, soak them for 20-30 minutes before use.

Coat the chicken in the yaji spice mixture by tossing it in a bowl until covered.

Skewer the chicken pieces, leaving space between each for airflow.

Equipment Needed

Dietary