Jollof rice is mildly spicy tomato rice cooked with fresh green chilli, garlic and onions. Jollof rice originates in West Africa, and goes so perfectly with almost everything i’ve ever put it beside.

Cooking rice on the hob/stove is something I always used to shy away from because it never turned out quite right. Until i purchased a rice cooker, I rarely made rice because it never turned out quite right. However, using the rice cooker has really helped me understand the timings and theory of cooking rice; the rice should absorb all the water in the pan and require no drain after cooking. Below are step-by-step photos how to make Jollof style rice perfectly in a pan.

Yield: 6

Vegetarian Jollof Rice

Name: Vegetarian Jollof Rice
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Caribbean
Ingredients: 350g White Rice, rinsed; 600ml Boiling Water; 1 Chicken or Vegetable Stock Cube; 4 tbsp Vegetable Oil; 2 Garlic cloves, crushed; 2 Onions, finely chopped; 1 Red Chilli, finely chopped; 2 tbsp Tomato Puree; 1 tsp Salt; 1 tsp Sugar

Here's how to make Jollof rice on your stove/hob

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

350g White Rice, rinsed
600ml Boiling Water
1 Chicken or Vegetable Stock Cube
4 tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 Garlic cloves, crushed
2 Onions, finely chopped
1 Red Chilli, finely chopped
2 tbsp Tomato Puree
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Sugar

Instructions

Weigh out your ingredients, and finely chop chilli, onions and garlic cloves
Boil 600ml of water and add and dissolve a stock cube, set aside
Heat oil in a large pan, and add the chopped onion and chilli
Cook the onions and chilli for around 5 of minutes, until the onions turn clear
Add the red chilli and tomato puree, and cook for a further minute
Add the 350ml of rice to the pan, and stir to coat the rice in the tomato and onion mixture
Add chicken stock, sugar and salt to the pan, and bring to the boil
Once the water is boiling, reduce heat to a low simmer and put a pan on the lid
Simmer the rice for 10 minutes, and when the water is almost completely dissolved, cover the rice with tin foil, and replace the lid to the pan, turning the heat down as low as it will possibly go - this will finish the cooking of the rice by steaming
Cook for around another 5 minutes (it depends on the type of rice) stirring every couple of minutes until it is cooked through and fluffy
Serve and enjoy

Measure out your ingredients, make the chicken stock and chop the onion and chilli, then crush the garlic
Heat oil in a large pan
Add onions and garlic to the heated oil
Cook for about 5 minutes, until the onions turn clear and slightly browned on the edges
Add the red chilli and tomato paste
Stir to evenly coat the onions in the tomato puree
Cook for a further minute
Tip the rice into the pan
Stir to coat the rice in the tomato mixture
Add chicken stock
Bring the water to boil, then instantly reduce the heat to a low simmer
Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 10 minutes – or until the liquid is almost completely absorbed
Stir regularly throughout this time to ensure the rice isn’t sticking or burning to the pan
Add a layer of foil ontop of the rice
And replace the lid. Turn the heat down to the lowest it will go, this will steam the rice for it’s final part of cooking
Stir and check on the rice every couple of minutes, and once it’s cooked through and fluffy, turn off the heat completely.
Serve and enjoy