Pan-Toasted Jollof Rice
Lagos, Nigeria · View all recipes
Overview
Parboiled rice toasted in butter and oil before it meets the stew, then finished under foil. It is a Nigerian method, and the point of it is that it does not burn. Conventional jollof demands attention. The rice sits on the base of the pot absorbing stew, and without stirring and checking it catches, which is why the bottom layer of a party jollof is either the best part or a disaster depending on the cook. Toasting the rice in fat first coats each grain, which both slows absorption and stops the grains sticking to the pot and to each other. The result is a jollof you can put down and walk away from. That trade-off is worth understanding. You lose the smoky bottom layer that party jollof is prized for, and you gain a dish that cooks unattended and comes out evenly. The other instruction that matters is the source's own: season and fry the stew thoroughly before the rice goes in. Because the rice is coated in fat, it absorbs more slowly and takes on less seasoning from the liquid, so the stew has to be right before they meet. Washing the rice and letting it dry properly beforehand matters for the same reason: wet rice will not toast. This competes with several jollof pages on this site, which is flagged.
AFN Heritage Note
Jollof rice is cooked across West Africa, with each country making its own version. The pan-toasted method coats the rice in fat before cooking so it does not stick or burn, allowing it to be finished unattended.
Ingredients
Dietary tags are provided by contributors as a guide, not verified by AFN, and they depend on the products you buy. If you have a serious allergy, check every ingredient yourself. Cooking, allergies and your own judgement
Directions
- 1
Wash the rice thoroughly and leave it to dry for about 30 minutes. Wet rice will not toast.
- 2
Put the butter and vegetable oil in a pot and warm until melted and combined.
- 3
Tip in the rice and turn it until every grain is coated in the butter and oil, then toast for 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside.
- 4
Warm more oil in another pot and cook the chopped onion and celery for about 30 seconds.
- 5
Mix in the tomato paste and fry for about 5 minutes, then add the blended tomatoes, pepper, ginger, garlic and onion.
- 6
Cook for 5 to 8 minutes. Season with the curry powder, thyme, crayfish, chilli pepper, seasoning cubes, grated nutmeg and salt.
- 7
Taste the stew and get the seasoning right now. The toasted rice absorbs less from the liquid than untoasted rice does, so the stew has to be correct before they meet.
- 8
Tip the toasted rice into the stew and drop in the bay leaves.
- 9
Cover with foil, lower the heat to medium-low and cook until done.
- 10
Mix through, take out the bay leaves and serve.
Africook’s Notes
Personal notes from Jennifer Ezeokoli- Dry the rice properly after washing. Thirty minutes is the instruction and wet rice steams rather than toasting.
- Season the stew fully before the rice goes in. Toasted rice takes on less seasoning from the liquid, so there is no correcting it later.
- Foil under the lid traps the steam and is what lets you leave it alone.
- You lose the smoky bottom layer that party jollof is prized for. That is the trade for a dish that will not burn.
- Use long grain parboiled rice. It holds its shape through toasting and cooking where softer rice collapses.
- Resist stirring. The whole advantage of this method is that it does not need it.
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