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A bowl of west african jollof rice
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Vegan Jollof Rice

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

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 rice, Lundberg 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.