How To Make Coconut Jollof Rice

Jollof rice is a dish popular with many West African countries, and you certainly can’t fault this dish when cooked right. Traditional jollof rice is always a hit, but do you know there are so many other tasty variations? One example is coconut jollof.

Jollof recipe serves two to three people.

Ingredients

• 1 cup jasmine rice
• 1 coconut (you’ll need the water) – optional
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 medium onion (preferably red)
• 1/2 onion sliced
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 ata rodo/scotch bonnet (depending on how spicy it is/ you like your food, you can add an extra one)
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 10 teaspoons beef or chicken stock
• 2-3 seasoning cubes
• 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Method

1. Wash tomatoes, bell pepper, ata rodo, and peeled onion, then blend until smooth.
2. In a clean pot, heat vegetable oil. Add in curry powder, thyme leaves, and the remaining sliced onions. Fry until onions are golden.
3. Pour in your blended mix and cook until the stew is slightly thick. Add in beef stock and cook for an extra five minutes, then add coconut water from your coconut and coconut milk. Cook for additional five minutes, then add seasoning cubes.
4. Turn the heat down low, then add in your jasmine rice. The trick to cooking any type of rice is cooking it on low heat and letting the trapped heat do the work. Cover the pot with cling film or foil paper and let the rice cook for about 20 minutes without turning it.
5. After 20 minutes, check that rice is cooking evenly and use a wooden spoon to stir. Do not stir too much or you will break the rice.
6. If at any point the rice needs more liquid to cook, use more coconut water/milk. Try to avoid using water.
7. Jasmine rice cooks roughly in about 30 – 40 minutes. When all the liquid is dry and the rice is soft, turn off the fire.
8. Enjoy rice with any type of protein of your choice. I served this with some grilled plantain and stewed goat meat, snails and shrimps.