Vegan Jollof Rice Recipe

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Jollof rice – A colorful and fragrant popular dish in West Africa. This vegan version is cooked in flavorful tomato and peppers stew with onions, garlic, curry powder, thyme and bay leaves. Even non vegans will enjoy it! It’s perfect any day of the week. If you love rice recipes then check out my Peruvian fried rice.

JOLLOF RICE

My son’s dad/ Ghanaian ex showed me how to make Jollof rice years ago. Over the years I’ve made it my own.  My inspiration for this recipe comes from how some people make it in Nigeria, Ghana and Sierra Leone.

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There are many different ways to make Jollof rice. Some people use coconut milk, or use maggie seasoning cubes and water. Pureeing the crushed tomatoes with the peppers is something some do as well.

Some pots are saucy while others are more dry. I prefer my rice to dry when I use meat but I like it a tad saucy when it’s vegan. I prefer to use vegetable broth instead of maggie cubes too. 

Although I love meat and rice dishes I also love vegan rice too!

If spicy foods aren’t your thing, omit the hot peppers or decrease the called for amount. 

A bowl of west african jollof rice

INGREDIENTS TO MAKE JOLLOF RICE

  • Vegetable or Palm oil
  • Red onions
  • Bell Peppers
  • Green onions
  • Scotch Bonnet Pepper or a Habanero 
  • Crushed tomatoes
  • Tomato Paste
  • Spices such as salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, curry, dried thyme, dried bay leaves, ginger
  • Long grain Rice *See notes in recipe card.

Vegetable broth *I used Low sodium Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base

WHAT TO SERVE WITH JOLLOF RICE?

WHAT KIND OF RICE TO USE TO MAKE JOLLOF?

Use a long grain rice. Carolina rice or Basmati are good choices. 

HARD JOLLOF RICE?

You probably didn’t add enough water or it’s not done cooking.

To prevent hard undercooked rice, add boiling hot water to a bowl of uncooked rice. Let it sit for about 20 minutes. This will help ensure the finished rice is cooked through. I normally do this step before I prep the ingredients. 

WHY IS MY JOLLOF RICE MUSHY?

You may have cooked the rice too long or added too much water. The water level should be about the same level as the rice. 

JOLLOF RICE STICKING TO PAN AND BURNT?

Use a good nonstick pan to prevent burnt stuck rice. I sometimes leave the pan and forget to stir and the food never sticks. The pan I used in the photos above is nonstick. It’s from HomeSense but here’s one I have from Amazon

HOW TO MAKE JOLLOF RICE

  1. Jollof rice is pretty simple to make. It just requires a bit of patience. Prep your ingredients first. To prevent hard rice in the finished dish, boil some water and pour the hot water into the bowl of rice.Now to build some great flavor, add vegetable oil to a large pot or deep skillet over medium heat.

    Once the oil is shimmering, add the onions and peppers and green onions. Cook until the veggies have softened. Then add the minced garlic. cooking peppers in a skillet

  2. Add the seasonings next, Cumin, dried thyme, bay leaves, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Adjust the seasonings if you like.  
  3. Add the tomato paste and crushed tomatoes. Mix and cook the sauce for about 15 minutes or until the color turns a deep red color. This process will help get rid of the better taste of the tomatoes.
  4.  Next, add the long grain rice to the stewed vegetables. To make Jollof rice, use a long grain rice. Carolina riceLundberg Organic rice or Royal Basmati Rice are good choices.  
    * Cook stirring the rice into the vegetables. This how you toast the rice. It will help build even more flavor. 
  5. Next, add the vegetable broth.
  6. The water level should be about the same level as the rice.  Let it come to a boil, cover then reduce heat to low. 
  7.  Cover and set stove to low. Cook the rice for about 30-35 minutes or until the rice is al dente and liquid is absorbed. Next, remove the pot from the hot burner and set it the side for 15 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork and serve. 
    A bowl of west african jollof rice

    Vegan Jollof Rice

    April Boller Wright
    Serve this fragrant staple recipe from West African for dinner. This classic Jollof rice is also perfect for parties!
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 38 minutes
    Course Dinner, Lunch
    Cuisine African, West African
    Servings 5 people

    Ingredients
      

    Vegetable Stew

    • 2 red onions sliced thin
    • 1 cup bell peppers
    • 1/4 cup green onions sliced green onions
    • 1/4 scotch bonnet pepper
    • 1 tsp garlic minced
    • 1 1/2 tbsp curry powder
    • 1/4 tsp onion powder
    • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
    • ground ginger a couple small pinches
    • 2 tsp thyme
    • 3 bay leaves
    • 3 tbsp tomato paste
    • 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
    • 1 cup rice
    • 1 1/2 cup vegetable broth

    Instructions
     

    • Add vegetable oil to a large pot or deep skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the onions and peppers and green onions. Cook until the veggies have softened. Then add the minced garlic. 
    • Add the seasonings next, Cumin, dried thyme, bay leaves, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Adjust the seasonings if you like.  
    • Add the tomato paste and crushed tomatoes. Mix and cook the sauce for about 15 minutes or until the color turns a deep red color. This process will help get rid of the better taste of the tomatoes.
    • Cook stirring the rice into the vegetables. This how you toast the rice. It will help build even more flavor. **See picture example in the post.
    • Next, add the rice to the stewed vegetables. *See notes below.
    • Then add the vegetable broth. 
    • The water level should be about the same level as the rice.  Let it come to a boil, cover then reduce heat to low. 
    • Cover and set stove to low. Cook for about 30-35 minutes or until the rice is al dente and liquid is absorbed. Once the rice is done. Remove the pot from the hot burner and set it the side for 15 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork and serve. 

    Notes

    WHAT TO SERVE WITH JOLLOF RICE?

    Fried plantains (recipe coming soon), sauteed vegetables, salad, coleslaw, fried chicken or vegan fried fried chicken, fried fish. 
     
     
     
     

    WHAT KIND OF RICE TO USE TO MAKE JOLLOF?

    Use a long grain rice. Carolina riceLundberg Organic rice or Royal Basmati Rice are good choices. 
     
     
     
     

    HARD JOLLOF RICE?

    You probably didn't add enough water or it's not done cooking.
    To prevent hard undercooked rice, add boiling hot water to a bowl of uncooked rice. Let it sit for about 20 minutes. This will help ensure the rice is cooked through.
    I normally do this before I prep the ingredients. 
     
     
     
     

    WHY IS MY JOLLOF MUSHY ?

    You may have cooked the rice too long or added too much water. The water level should be about the same level as the rice. 
     
     
     
     

    JOLLOF RICE STICKING TO PAN AND BURNT

    Use a good nonstick pan to prevent burnt stuck rice. I sometimes leave the pan and forget to stir and the food never sticks. The pan I used in the post is nonstick from HomeSense but here's one I have from Amazon
    Keyword jollof rice, vegan jollof rice
    Like this? Leave a comment below!Let us know how it was!

    Today, I’m sharing some mouth watering soulful vegan/vegetarian recipes from my talented food blogger friends. Some of these recipes would be perfect served with Jollof rice. Check them out below!

    2020 BHM VIRTUAL POTLUCK LINKS

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