This is the West African answer to Special Fried Rice, so tasty and flavoured with tomato and Selim Pepper then given a lovely warm heat with a touch of Scotch Bonnet chilli. It is a mainstay of an special occasion in Nigeria and the surrounding countries, served as an accompaniment or especially as part of a buffet. We give this recipe the Spice Mountain touch with the addition of our Ethiopian Berbere spice blend, which although not strictly speaking West African, contains so many flavours which can only improve what is already a very tasty dish indeed!
01.
Ingredients
2 cups Parboiled Long Grain Rice
5 Tomatoes, chopped
2 Scotch Bonnet Chillies
1 medium Onion, chopped
3 tsp Tomato Powder
100 ml Chicken or Veg Stock
2 tsp Thyme
3 tsp Ethiopian Berbere Spice blend
6 Selim Peppercorns
3 Bay Leaves
02.
Method
- Blend the tomatoes, red pepper and Scotch Bonnets in a food processor
- Heat some groundnut or sunflower oil in a heavy pan, then add the onion and fry gently until they start to turn golden. Then add the tomato mixture (reserve a cupful for later) and powder, frying for 20 minutes or so (stir frequently to prevent sticking or burning).
- Now turn the heat down a little and add the chicken stock and the spices, then simmer for 10 mins. Finally add the rice to the pot, stirring well to ensure everything is nicely mixed together. Add the bay leaves, cover the pot and cook on a low heat for 20 mins.
- When the liquid has almost dried up, add the reserved tomato mixture, cover the pot again and let the rice cook for a final 5 minutes until almost dry. Finally give the pot a thorough stir, and your Jollof rice is ready to serve.
