So after many MANY attempts of trying to make Jollof all on my own, with no one to show me, this is what I found out:

-internet aunties don’t want you to prosper and make this as nice as them, because they’re always leaving something out of the recipe 😂

So I came up with my own adapted recipe, based on traditional Ghanaian Jollof. I don’t use Maggie cubes or any weird MSG containing chemicals.

Serves 5-6

What You Need:

-2 cups of washed rice
-3 tbsps coconut or olive oil
-2 large red onions, grated
-1 large red onion, finely chopped
-2 fat garlic cloves, grated
-2 scotch bonnets, finely chopped*
-1 inch ginger, grated
-4 tbsps tomato purée
-1/2 cup frozen or tinned plum tomato
-1 tsp paprika
-1 tsp black pepper
-1 tsp curry powder
-1/2 tsp rosemary
-1/2 tsp chive
-2 bay leaves
-2 tsps sea salt
-1.5 cup water
-1/2 cup chicken/beef stock liquid

*if you want the rice to be SPICY spicy, throw in 3 scotch bonnets.

*soaking & washing the rice thoroughly removes a significant amount of starch, which makes for a lighter dish and easier digestion on the gastrointestinal tract.

*you can replace garlic with infused oil, spring onion green bits + chives for onions if you’re following the low fodmap diet.

Method:

1. In a non-stick saucepan (don’t attempt this in anything else), heat up 2 tbsps of oil on medium heat for 2 mins. Add in the chopped onion and keep stirring until onion becomes golden and soft. Takes about 7-10 mins.
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2. Add in the tomato purée and stir continuously until the purée starts to lose the raw tomato-ey smell, you should be getting a slightly caramelised smell.
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3. Add in grated garlic, ginger, onion, scotch bonnets and the frozen/tinned tomato and keep stirring. Add in 2 tbsps of oil. Keep stirring until the raw tomato smell starts to go. You kind of want the tomato gravy to get a bit dehydrated, and you want to see the colour darkening a little. Turn the heat down to medium-low to avoid burning if necessary.
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4. Add in all the herbs & spices and keep stirring. You should be able to smell the spices & herbs releasing their aroma.
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5. Add in washed rice, making sure the liquid coats the grains really well. Keep gently stirring until the liquid from the gravy pretty much disappears. Add salt now.
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6. Add in 1 cup of water + .5 cup liquid stock and make sure all is well combined.
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7. Once there isn’t much liquid left, cover pan with parchment paper & cover with lid. Reduce to low heat, cook for 45 mins.
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8. Fluff with a fork.
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