Nigeria • West African Culinary Heritage

Classic Jollof Rice

Smoky West African Tomato-Pepper Rice

Richly seasoned, deeply aromatic and beautifully colored, Classic Jollof Rice combines long-grain rice with a slowly developed tomato and red-pepper sauce for one of West Africa’s most celebrated dishes.

PREPARATION

25 minutes

COOKING

55 minutes

TOTAL TIME

1 hour 20 minutes

SERVES

6 servings

FROM THE MAISON PANTRY

Ingredients

3 cups long-grain parboiled rice
4 large ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 large red bell peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
1 red habanero or Scotch bonnet pepper, adjusted to taste
2 medium onions, divided
⅓ cup neutral cooking oil
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons CaMasi Maison™ Premium Jollof Rice Spice Blend
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 dried bay leaves
4 cups chicken, beef or vegetable stock, plus more as needed
2 teaspoons premium sea salt, divided and adjusted to taste
2 seasoning cubes, optional
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional
1 small red bell pepper, diced, optional
½ medium onion, thinly sliced, optional

THE MAISON METHOD

Preparation Method

Rinse the rice: Place the rice in a large bowl and rinse it several times with cool water until the water runs mostly clear. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
Prepare the pepper blend: Place the tomatoes, red bell peppers, habanero pepper and one onion in a blender. Blend until smooth. Avoid adding water unless it is necessary to help the blades move.
Reduce the pepper blend: Pour the blended mixture into a wide saucepan. Cook uncovered over medium heat for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has reduced considerably and no longer tastes raw. Set aside.
Begin the stew base: Finely chop the remaining onion. Heat the cooking oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 3–4 minutes, until soft and fragrant.
Fry the tomato paste: Add the tomato paste and cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring frequently. The paste should deepen in color and lose its sharp, raw taste, but it should not burn.
Develop the sauce: Carefully add the reduced pepper blend. Stir in the CaMasi Maison™ Jollof Rice Spice Blend, thyme, curry powder, bay leaves, 1 teaspoon of sea salt and the seasoning cubes if using.
Cook the stew: Cover the pot partially and cook the sauce over medium-low heat for 12–15 minutes. Stir periodically until the sauce becomes thick, aromatic and slightly glossy, with some oil beginning to rise to the surface.
Add the stock: Pour approximately 3 cups of stock into the stew and stir well. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then taste and adjust the seasoning. The liquid should taste slightly more seasoned than the finished rice.
Add the rice: Stir the drained rice into the sauce until every grain is evenly coated. The cooking liquid should sit just above the rice. Add a little more stock only if necessary.
Steam the rice: Cover the surface of the pot tightly with parchment paper or aluminum foil, then secure the lid. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 25–30 minutes without stirring frequently.
Check for tenderness: Open the pot and gently turn the rice from the bottom upward. If the grains remain firm, sprinkle in a small amount of stock, cover tightly and continue cooking for another 5–10 minutes.
Finish the rice: Remove the bay leaves. Fold in the butter, diced red pepper and sliced onion if using. Cover and allow the rice to steam over very low heat for another 3–5 minutes.
Rest and serve: Remove the pot from the heat and leave it covered for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice gently with a fork or wooden spoon and serve warm.

A NOTE FROM THE MAISON

Maison Notes

For beautifully separated grains, rinse the rice thoroughly and avoid adding too much stock at once. The rice should cook primarily through gentle steaming rather than boiling in excessive liquid.
Allow the tomato paste and pepper blend to cook until their raw acidity disappears before adding the rice. For a subtle smoky character, let the rice rest over very low heat during the final few minutes without stirring the bottom of the pot.

PLEASE NOTE

Allergen Information

No major allergens are naturally present in the basic recipe. Check the labels of the stock, seasoning cubes, curry powder and spice blend used, as commercially prepared products may contain celery, soy, gluten or other allergens. Contains milk if finished with butter.

FROM THE CAMASI MAISON PANTRY