Name: Nigerian jollof rice
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: African
Ingredients: 3 cups Long-grain parboiled rice; 3 Red bell peppers; 4 Roma tomatoes; 2 Yellow onions; 2 Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers; 6 oz Tomato paste; 4 cups Chicken broth; 4 cloves Garlic; 1 inch Fresh ginger; 2 Chicken bouillon cubes; 2 tsp Curry powder; 2 tsp Dried thyme; 3 Bay leaves; 2 tbsp Butter; 0.5 cup Vegetable oil; 2 tsp Salt

Nigerian jollof rice

West African party rice cooked in a smoky, peppery tomato sauce. Red, rich and made for a crowd.

How many people are eating

Written for 8. Everything below is scaled to 8.

What goes on the list — untick anything you have

3 cups Long-grain parboiled rice(also sold as converted rice; it holds up without going mushy)
3 Red bell peppers
4 Roma tomatoes
2 Yellow onions
2 Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers(use 1 for mild; habanero is the usual swap in Walmart produce)
6 oz Tomato paste
4 cups Chicken broth
4 cloves Garlic
1 inch Fresh ginger
2 Chicken bouillon cubes(Maggi or Knorr cubes are traditional)
2 tsp Curry powder(Nigerian cooks use a mild yellow curry powder)· most people have this
2 tsp Dried thyme· most people have this
3 Bay leaves· most people have this
2 tbsp Butter
0.5 cup Vegetable oil· most people have this
2 tsp Salt· most people have this

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How to cook it · about 75 minutes

Blend the red bell peppers, tomatoes, 1 onion, the Scotch bonnets, garlic and ginger until smooth. Pour into a saucepan and boil over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until reduced by about a third.
Rinse the rice in a few changes of water until the water runs mostly clear, and drain it well.
Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the other onion, thinly sliced, and cook 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and fry it, stirring, for 5 minutes until it darkens to a deep brick red. This removes the sour raw-tomato taste.
Stir in the reduced pepper sauce, the curry powder, thyme, bay leaves, crumbled bouillon cubes and salt. Simmer 10 minutes until the oil starts to rise to the top.
Add the rice and stir to coat every grain. Pour in the broth to just level with the rice. Cover the pot with foil and then the lid to trap the steam, and cook on low for 30 to 35 minutes. Do not stir — just check at 20 minutes and add a splash of broth if it looks dry.
When the rice is tender, stir in the butter. If you want the smoky bottom that Nigerians prize, turn the heat to medium for the last 3 to 5 minutes and let it toast without burning. Serve with fried chicken, fried plantains or coleslaw.

Amounts are on the list above — they change with the number of people; the steps do not.