Food Stories is a column in which Best of Vegan community members share recipes from their cultures and personal stories connected to those dishes. Today, Ebenezer Odeniyi of Veganezer shares his recipe for Vegan Nigerian Jollof Rice, a true Nigerian classic made fully plant-based.
Table of Contents
Vegan Nigerian Jollof Rice
This recipe was featured in Ebenezer’s profile for the new weekly BIPOC Portraits series by Val and Mani Latifi, where they profile vegan creators and shed light on the unique challenges BIPOCs face in making the decision to embrace veganism. Click here to see the full article.
Jollof Rice holds a lot to me. It’s a dish I enjoyed eating as a child, in my teens, and adulthood, before my change in lifestyle. As a child, if we were having a party or going to a party, the best part was the Jollof and every bite brings back a memory. Published with permission from Veganezer.
How to Make Vegan Nigerian Jollof Rice
Ingredients
- 4 cups of rice - I use basmati, washed
- 1 can of chopped or plum tomatoes
- 2 medium onions
- 1 scotch bonnet
- 1 large sweet red pepper
- 3-4 vegetable stock cubes
- 1 tbsp all-purpose seasoning
- 1 tbsp of thyme
- 1 tsp of Jamaican curry powder
- 3 tbsp of tomato puree
- 2-3 bay leaves
- Pinch of black pepper & salt
- Enough oil to cover the bottom layer of the pan. - I use vegetable/sunflower oil
- Up to 2 cups of water
Instructions
- Add the tomatoes, onion, red pepper, and scotch bonnet to a blender and blend till smooth.
- Heat a pot up on medium heat (make sure there is a lid for the pot). Add the oil once the pot is heated up.
- Add the blended mixture to the pot, then add the stock cubes, seasoning, purée, and bay leaves. Give it a good stir and cover pot. Lower heat to medium-low. Leave for approximately 15 minutes.
- While the sauce cooks, the rice will need washing. This can be done either in a sieve or in a pot. Once this has been washed, place on the side ready to add to the sauce.
- After 15 minutes the sauce should have thickened a little. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Now it's time to add the washed rice. Once added give it a good stir to ensure all is covered by the sauce. Add enough water to just cover the rice. (It’s very important that it is just over the rice level. No one wants soggy rice)
- With the shiny side down, cover the pot lid with aluminum foil and wrap extra on top of the lid.
- Cover the pot with the foil-wrapped lid, and reduce heat to the lowest setting possible.
- The rice is going to steam and take approximately 45 minutes to cook. Every 15 minutes you will need to stir the rice from the bottom, and don't worry, it doesn't need additional water. The steam will cook the rice. After 45 minutes check the rice and it should be cooked. Turn off the heat and move the pot to another ring. This is now ready to serve. Enjoy!!!
Notes
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Recipe and photos by Ebenezer Odeniyi.
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