HOMEMADE NIGERIAN JOLLOF RECIPE:Jollof Rice, a classic Nigerian rice dish flavored ...

... with tomatoes, peppers, and lots of seasonings!
Jollof rice is a dish that’s a staple in most households. It definitely was a staple in my house growing up, and at parties, where you can rest assure that there will be lots and pans of it. This is the first reason I love attending Nigerian parties 🎉.
There are many different ways to cook Jollof Rice. It is a dish made with rice, tomatoes, tomato paste, onions, scotch bonnet peppers, salt, and spices. If it doesn’t have the above mentioned ingredients, then it’s not true Jollof.
I use the long grain rice that has been parboiled.
The recipe is simple enough. I made it even more simple by cutting it down to easy steps. As long as you have the main ingredients and you season appropriately, than your jollof should come out perfectly. I usually serve it with some Fried peppered Fish,baked or fried chicken,fried beef or any other meat 🍖 of your choice,salad, and fried plantains. Enjoy!!
INGREDIENTS:-
3 Cups of rice (the cup I use is seen in the picture)
2 small size of fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 red bell pepper
Small portion of green pea
2 small size Carrot 🥕 chopped
1 medium sized onion, roughly chopped, set aside
2 scotch bonnet peppers (habanero peppers as they are sometimes called) grind with 2 big tomatoes and set aside
¼ cup of groundnut oil
3 tbsp tomato paste
2½ cups of chicken stock
1 tsp salt to taste
½ tsp curry powder
½ tsp thyme
1 tsp All purpose seasoning
1 Knorr stock cube
3 bay leaves(optional)
Water, as needed.

INSTRUCTIONS:
Blend your tomatoes, red pepper, scotch bonnet peppers in a food processor or blender for about 45 seconds, make sure that everything is blended well.
In a medium sized pot, heat your oil on medium-high heat. Once the oil is heated,add the tomato paste and fry for 2-3 minutes. Then add the blended tomato mixture (reserve about ¼ cup and set aside) and fry the mixture with the some portion of onions for about 30 minutes. Make sure you stir consistently so that the tomato mixture does not burn,during this period fry the fish.
After 30 minutes, turn the heat down to medium, and add little portion chicken stock and stir the fish and other meat you have already boil or fry in your mixture for 2minutes and remove them from the Mix and add your seasonings (salt, curry powder, thyme, all purpose seasoning, and the Knorr stock cube). Continue to boil for 10 minutes.
Add the parboiled rice** to the pot. Mix it very well with the tomato stew. At this point if you need to add water so that the rice is level with the tomato mixture/chicken stock go ahead and do so. Add the bay leaves, cover the pot, and cook on medium to low heat for 15-30 minutes.
When the liquid has almost dried up add the remaining tomato stew**, Onions,carrots,green pea and sliced tomatoes cover, and let it cook for another 5-10 minutes heat until the liquid has completely dried up. Turn off the heat, mix thoroughly, and your Jollof Rice is ready to be eaten!
Notes
**It is key to use parboiled rice so that you don't end up with mushy rice in the end.

**When cooking the tomato stew, you can tell when it is done because the oil will rise to the top. Also another way to tell that is done is when the bitter taste of the tomatoes has been cooked out.

**The reason why you reserve ¼th of the tomato mixture and add it at the end is because we do not want the rice to burn. Also, it gives the rice that beautiful red color we all know and love.
@beautymarth 😋