NIGERIAN COCONUT JOLLOF RICE

It’s hard to talk about Nigerian dishes without mentioning Jollof Rice. It’s pretty much a staple in every Nigerian home and every Nigerian Party. I have never met a Nigerian, or West African for that matter, who hasn’t had jollof at least once and I sincerely pray I never do. It literally takes two of my favorite things (rice and stew) and combines it into one BOMB ass dish. Now traditional jollof rice is amazing on its own but somedays when I want that extra oomph, I’ll jazz it up and make coconut jollof rice. It has all the deliciousness of regular jollof and the sweet surprise of coconut, literally my mouth is watering while writing this you guys. Coconut Jollof Rice is the purest form of pleasure. It just makes you feel good and want to shakiti bobo all up and down the place.

Ingredients

Meats and Rice:

1 pound beef

1 pack of mixed chicken (breast/thigh, drumstick, wings) I will not be using chicken in this recipe but it is an option

4 cups long grain parboiled rice

Herbs and Produce:

1 large red onion

2 garlic cloves

2 habanero peppers *if you are not into spicy food, you may want to skip this or use 1 habanero pepper

5 roma tomatoes

2 ½ cup tomato stew

2 ½ cup (1 ½ cans, each 13.66 oz.) coconut milk

Parsley leaves for garnish (fresh or dried)

Spices:

3 knorr (maggi) cubes

2 tablespoon Himalaya Pink salt (sea salt can be substituted here)

2 tablespoons freshly ground pepper

¼ cup onion powder

¼ cup garlic powder

½ tablespoon curry powder

A common misconception is that making jollof is quick. Umm no. It’s actually a fairly long process but well worth it, I promise! If you are nothing like me and don’t have stew already prepared (sidenote: a HUGE party foul in the Nigerian community is when your freezer isn’t forever stocked with stew) you have to prepare the tomato stew (recipe here). Once thawed/prepared, set aside for later. I also like to add fried tomato to my jollof. To do this, cut and blend the Roma tomatoes with the habanero peppers, garlic cloves, and ½ of the large red onion. Once blended, heat in medium sized pot over medium-high heat. When all the water has evaporated add enough vegetable oil to cover the tomatoes, 1 knorr cube, and reduce the heat to low. Fry the tomatoes for a minimum of 20 minutes or until the tomatoes have clearly separated from the oil. Stir continuously during this time to prevent burning. Set aside when done.

I like beef with my jollof but feel free to use whatever kind of meat tickles your fancy. Cut the beef into large block pieces. In a large pot, season the pieces with salt, pepper, garlic, onion, and curry powder; Begin cooking on medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (no need to add water at this point because beef generates its own water. Once brown (caramelized) add enough water to cover the meat, the remaining red onion, and knorr cubes. Start cooking until the beef is nice and tender (approximately 30-35 minutes). When done, drain the beef stock and set aside, then fry pieces with a small amount of vegetable oil. This is to give it a golden brown look; it’s all about presentation peeps.

Since I’m using parboiled rice, I only rinse it until the water runs clear. Rinsing the rice removes any extra starch. In a large pot (large enough to hold all the ingredients we just prepared) add the beef stock, coconut milk, and the tomatoes stew, NOT THE FRIED TOMATO, and bring to a boil. Add the rinsed parboiled rice, salt and pepper to taste. Add water to cover the rice (if necessary). Cover and cook on medium-low heat until all the water has dried up and the rice is fully cooked. You may have to periodically top off the water if the water dries up before the rice is finished cooking. Once the rice has finished cooking (confirm by tasting) add the fried tomato, stir, and TA DA! We’re finished!

Serve with Beef piece Fried Plantain, Nigerian Moi Moi, & garnish with parsley leaves.

If you have any questions about preparing Coconut Rice, drop a comment below <3