Sweet Jollof Rice Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 kg Beef Tri‑Tip (or Rump Roast) (cut into 2‑inch chunks)
• 2 pieces Red Onion (medium‑large, chopped; one extra large bulb for the rice)
• 2 tablespoons Curry Powder (ground)
• 2 cubes Beef Seasoning Cube (dissolved in water)
• 4 sprigs Fresh Thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
• 4 cups Water (for steaming beef and later cooking rice)
• 2 pieces Bell Peppers (mixed colors, seeded and chopped)
• 2 pieces Scotch Bonnet Pepper (seeded; remove veins for less heat if desired)
• 4 pieces Tomato (quartered)
• 0.5 bulb Garlic (cloves peeled, flat side down for roasting)
• 0.25 cup Neutral Oil (Canola or Vegetable) (for frying beef and later for the rice base)
• 2 tablespoons Tomato Paste (any brand)
• 2 pieces Bay Leaf (optional, can increase if desired)
• 2 cups Golden Cella Basmati Rice (wash until water runs clear; golden basmati works best)
• 1 teaspoon Salt (adjust to taste)
• 3 cups Additional Water for Rice (adjust if needed; should sit slightly above rice)

Instructions

1. Season and Steam Beef

   Place the beef chunks in a wide pot. Add chopped onion, a pinch of salt, 1 beef seasoning cube, fresh thyme sprigs, and 1 cup water. Mix well, cover, and steam over medium heat for 15 minutes.

   Time: PT15M

2. Finish Cooking Beef

   Add another 1‑2 cups water, re‑cover, and continue cooking for 12 minutes or until the beef is just tender. Remove the beef and set aside; reserve the cooking liquid as stock.

   Time: PT12M

3. Prepare Pepper‑Tomato Mix

   Rinse bell peppers, scotch bonnet peppers, tomatoes, and a small onion. Remove seeds and veins from the hot peppers, then chop all vegetables into roughly 2‑inch pieces.

   Time: PT15M

4. Roast the Pepper Mix

   Pre‑heat the oven on the broil setting. Spread the chopped vegetables on a non‑stick baking tray, drizzle with a little oil, add the garlic cloves flat‑side down, and roast, turning once, for 27 minutes until the vegetables are lightly charred and fragrant.

   Time: PT27M

   Temperature: Broil

5. Blend the Roasted Mix

   Transfer the roasted vegetables and garlic to a blender. Blend until completely smooth, scraping the sides as needed.

   Time: PT5M

6. Fry the Beef

   Heat 2 Tbsp of the neutral oil in the non‑stick pot over medium‑high heat. Add the steamed beef pieces and fry until golden brown, about 8 minutes.

   Time: PT8M

   Temperature: Medium‑high heat

7. Reduce Excess Oil

   Tilt the pot and spoon out excess oil, leaving roughly 2 Tbsp in the pot.

   Time: PT2M

8. Fry Onions

   Add the remaining chopped onions to the pot and sauté for 3 minutes until they start to turn light brown.

   Time: PT3M

   Temperature: Medium heat

9. Fry Tomato Paste

   Stir in the tomato paste and fry, stirring constantly, for 15 minutes until the paste deepens to a rich red color and the oil begins to separate.

   Time: PT15M

   Temperature: Medium heat

10. Add Pepper Blend

    Pour the blended roasted pepper mixture into the pot, stir for 2 minutes to combine.

    Time: PT2M

11. Season the Base

    Add 1 tsp salt, the remaining thyme (fresh or dried), 2 Tbsp curry powder, the second beef seasoning cube (crumbled), and 2 bay leaves. Mix well.

    Time: PT1M

12. Add Stock and Water

    Stir in half of the reserved beef stock (about 2 cups) and 2 cups of water. Bring to a gentle simmer.

    Time: PT2M

13. Simmer While Washing Rice

    Lower the heat, cover the pot, and let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes while you wash the rice.

    Time: PT5M

14. Wash the Rice

    Place the basmati rice in a bowl and rinse under cold water, stirring, until the water runs clear (about 5 minutes). Drain well.

    Time: PT5M

15. Combine Rice with Base

    Add the washed rice to the pot, stir to coat each grain with the sauce, then add the remaining 3 cups water (or enough to sit just above the rice).

    Time: PT3M

16. Steam the Jollof Rice

    Cover the pot tightly with aluminum foil (or a tight‑fitting lid), reduce heat to low, and cook undisturbed for 45 minutes.

    Time: PT45M

    Temperature: Low heat

17. Finish and Fluff

    Remove the pot from heat, discard bay leaves, and gently fluff the rice with a fork, mixing in the cooked beef pieces.

    Time: PT5M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

620

Protein

30 g

Carbohydrates

70 g

Fat

22 g

Fiber

5 g