Basmati Jollof Rice
Basmati Jollof Rice, a fantastic African side dish bursting with big flavours. It's a wonderful accompaniment to any roast or roast alternatives, and it makes a lovely everyday dish. Unlike the traditional recipes that call for long-grain rice, this jollof rice with basmati is light and quick to cook, and absolutely delicious.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 543kcal
Ingredients
- 250 g regular basmati rice (1 ¼ cup)
- 400 ml chicken stock (broth 1 ½ cup)
- 1` onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 cm fresh ginger ( 1 inch)
- 3 tablespoon double concentrated tomato paste
- 65 ml sunflower oil (¼ cup)
- 1 tablespoon hot curry powder
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
The base
- 4 tomatoes on the vine
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 red onion
- 1 red chilli pepper
- 125 ml water (½ cup)
To garnish
- 2 tomatoes on the vine
- ½ red onion
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
- 30 g butter (2 tbsp)
Instructions
- To make the base, peel and quarter the onion, deseed the red bell pepper and red chilli pepper and chop them roughly.
- Quarter the tomatoes, and add them to a blender together with the rest of the ingredients, then blitz to a smooth texture.
- For the rice, heat up the oil, peel and chop the onion, and add it to the pan with a good pinch of salt.
- Fry the onion until golden.
- Add the peeled and chopped garlic and ginger, and cook them for 30 seconds to release their flavours.
- Add the hot curry powder, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper and tomato paste and stir well.
- Pour in the tomato base, place a lid on the pan, and leave it to cook on a medium heat until the mixture is reduced to a thick paste, stirring occasionally, and the oil starts to separate around the edges.
- Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear.
- Drain the rice well, and add it to the reduced tomato paste together with the chicken stock.
- Place the lid on and cook it on a low to medium heat until all the liquid is evaporated.
- Once the rice is cooked, remove the pan from the heat, but keep the lid on for a further 5 minutes.
- Add the sliced tomatoes, onion cut julienne and cubed butter together with the chopped parsley.
- Use a fork to fluff up the rice, then place the lid back on for a further 2-3 minutes.
- Serve immediately!
Video
Notes
- Cook the base properly, this is the flavour foundation. The sauce has to be thick, not watery, and oil starting to separate around the edges. Undercooked base will result in a bland, mushy rice.
- The ratio rice to liquid I followed is 1 cup rice to 1 ¼ cup liquid, this is my golden rule for cooking fluffy basmati rice anytime. Season the sauce well, making any adjustments before adding the rice.
- Cook the rice undisturbed without removing the lid, the steam helps with a light, fluffy rice. I recommend using a glass lid so you can see when the liquid is absorbed. Once the rice is cooked, remove the pan from the heat, but keep the lid on for an extra 5 minutes.
- Rice that catches a little bit at the bottom is actually delicious, but make sure it's not scorched. Use a fork to fluff up the rice, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 543kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 900mg | Potassium: 982mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 3067IU | Vitamin C: 90mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 3mg