How to cook Jollof rice and the ingredient that is most needed is another big problem for people who do not know how to go about it in the first place.

Cooking jollof rice and knowing the right ingredients to add for taste is what we are covering in this article, and the only way you can get out of your cooking deficiency is by reading and getting to the last part of this article.

Here, we are not only treating how to cook Jollof rice but also the correct ingredients needed for the dish’s preparation.

Before we go further, it is important to establish here that the major ingredient of Jollof rice is rice (long-grain or short-grain). All other items are mere additions, although the dish can’t be completed without them.

Ways to Cook Jollof Rice and the Ingredient

The taste of Jollof rice is in both the method of cooking and the ingredients added to it.

The recipes may be the same but the process differs, so the way one cooks the dish matters a lot as it plays a tremendous role in whatever happens to the dish by the end of the day.

Without much preamble, cooking Jollof rice involves the following steps:

1. To begin the cooking process, you start with the rice. You parboil your rice and wash it thoroughly before keeping it in your bowl and proceed to the next item which is your meat or fish.

2. This is your second step; here you prepare the protein, be it meat (mostly chicken), or fish.

During this period, you are to steam and fry your chicken using groundnut oil, curry, thyme, dry pepper, salt, seasoning cubes and other essential spices.

3. Prepare your chicken stew using fresh paper and other necessary ingredients and allow it to stir for a while before adding the rice to it.

Your stew should be much and not watery else you end up leaving your dish tasteless.

4. Pour the rice into the boiling stew and allow it to cook until the water is almost dried before adding the remaining ingredients.

During this period you are expected to add some remaining ingredients and spices like onions, seasoning, etc.

5. Add your chicken or fish after a while and they ought to be added when the quantity of water is minimal.

After adding your protein, cover the pot completely and allow the dish to mix well. It must remain in the fire until all the water is absorbed.

Your delicious jollof rice is ready to be served at this juncture, you can enjoy it with any chill drink of your choice, and that also includes ordinary water, if you choose to.

Now you know that jollof rice cooking is not done just with rice, other substances must be available, which are called ingredients.

What are these ingredients? Let’s find out in the next sub-heading.

Ingredients for Jollof Rice

There are numerous ingredients used in preparing Jollof rice. These ingredients are so important that they are regarded as Jollof rice necessities.

In this guide, we will identify all the ingredients that one is expected to cook Jollof rice with.

If we should omit any of the ingredients, kindly drop a comment below, highlighting the forgotten ones.

Here are the ingredients for Jollof rice:

1. 400g basmati rice

2. 3 red peppers, halved and deseeded

3. 1 white onion, halved

4. 2 garlic cloves

5. 1 tbsp grated ginger, or ginger purée

6. 1 Scotch bonnet chilli, deseeded if you prefer less heat (optional)

7. 5 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil

8. 100g tomato purée

9. 2 bay leaves

10. 1 tbsp dried thyme

11. 2tsp curry powder (we used hot madras)

12. ½ tsp ground white pepper

13. 600ml hot chicken stock, made with 2 stock cubes.

Can I Add Turmeric to My Jollof Rice?

Yes, you can add Turmeric to your jollof rice! While traditional Jollof rice recipes may not typically include turmeric, there’s no strict rule against adding it if you enjoy the flavour. Turmeric has a warm, slightly bitter taste and can impart a vibrant yellow colour to your dish. It also carries potential health benefits.

If you decide to add turmeric to your Jollof rice, start with a small amount and adjust according to your taste preferences. You can mix it in with the other spices or dissolve it in a bit of warm water before adding it to ensure even distribution. Keep in mind that turmeric can be quite potent, so a little goes a long way.

Feel free to experiment and make the dish your own!