How to Cook Party Jollof Rice at Home

Ask ten Nigerians how to make the best jollof and you will get eleven opinions. Most of them will agree on one thing, though: there is everyday jollof and there is party jollof. Everyday jollof is nice. Party jollof is deep red, a little smoky, and every grain stays separate even after soaking up everything in the pot.

You do not need firewood or a pot the size of a drum to get close at home. You need patience with the pepper base and a lid that fits tightly. This recipe feeds six to eight people.

What you need

• 3 cups long grain parboiled rice
• 6 ripe plum tomatoes
• 3 red bell peppers (tatashe)
• 2 to 4 scotch bonnets (ata rodo), depending on how brave you are
• 2 large onions, one for blending and one sliced
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• About 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups chicken or beef stock, plus hot water if needed
• 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon curry powder, 2 bay leaves
• 2 stock cubes and salt to taste

Step by step

1. Rinse the rice. Wash it in warm water until the water runs mostly clear, then drain well. Parboiled rice forgives a lot, but starchy rice turns sticky.
2. Blend the base. Blitz the tomatoes, bell peppers, scotch bonnets and one onion until smooth.
3. Cook it down. Pour the blend into a pot and boil on medium heat until it has reduced by about half and the raw smell is gone. Expect 20 to 25 minutes. This step takes out the water that would otherwise make your rice mushy.
4. Fry the paste. In your cooking pot, heat the oil and fry the sliced onion for a few minutes. Add the tomato paste and fry for about five minutes, stirring, until it darkens and the oil separates.
5. Join the two. Add the reduced pepper mix and fry for another 10 to 15 minutes. You want a thick, dark red base with oil sitting on top. Taste it. It should be rich and a bit sweet, never sharp or raw. If it tastes raw, keep frying.
6. Season the liquid. Add the stock, thyme, curry, bay leaves, stock cubes and salt. Bring it to a boil and taste. It should be slightly saltier than you would like, because the rice will soak a lot of that up.
7. Add the rice. Stir it in so every grain is coated. The liquid should only just reach the top of the rice. Parboiled rice needs less water than most people think, and you can always add more later but you cannot take it out.
8. Seal and steam. Cover the pot with foil pressed down around the edges, then put the lid on. Cook on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes. Stir once or twice, from the bottom up, and then leave it alone.
9. Check the grain. Bite one. If it is still hard, add a quarter cup of hot water, cover and give it five more minutes.
10. Rest it. Turn off the heat and leave the pot covered for ten minutes before you open it.

Getting that smoky party taste

The smoke in party jollof comes from the fire and from a thin layer of rice toasting at the bottom of the pot. You can copy the second part. In the last five to eight minutes, turn the heat up just a little and let the bottom layer catch. You should smell something close to toasted, not burnt. If you smell burning, pull the pot off the heat straight away and do not scrape the bottom into the serving bowl.

A heavy-bottomed pot makes this much easier. A thin pot goes from toasted to ruined very fast.

Why your jollof went wrong

• Mushy rice. Too much liquid, or too much stirring. Cut the water next time and keep the lid on.
• Pale rice. The base was not fried long enough, or there was not enough tomato paste. The colour comes from cooking the base properly, not from adding more stock.
• A sour or raw taste. The pepper blend was not cooked down. Give it more time before the rice goes in.
• Hard centres. The lid was loose and the steam escaped. Use foil under the lid and add a little hot water.
• Burnt bottom. The heat was too high for too long. Lower it, and move the pot off the fire sooner.

What to serve with it

Fried plantain is the classic partner. Add chicken or turkey, coleslaw, moi moi or a simple salad of cabbage, cucumber and carrot, and you have a plate that would not look out of place at any owambe. If you are cooking for a crowd, make the base the day before and keep it in the fridge. It tastes better after a night, and on the day all you have to do is cook the rice.

And when someone at the table tells you theirs is better, smile, say thank you and ask for the recipe.