Are you finding it difficult to make the perfect smokey Jollof Rice? Every time you try, it doesn’t seem to get better. Well, these few tips are no teaser, cause everything you need to know is right here.
1. You can grill your tomatoes, peppers, and tatashe in the oven, before grinding/blending and using them to cook your jollof rice. This process gives an excellent smokey taste to your jollof rice.
2. Apart from vegetable oil, palm oil can also be used to cook your jollof rice. Using palm oil doesn’t only add good taste to it, but also adds a more beautiful red colour to it.
3. For your jollof rice not to stick together or become soggy, reduce the heat/flame to the lowest, cover it with aluminum foil, and allow it to steam. You can also prepare it like this and bake it in the oven. Steam is what is needed to cook a perfect jollof rice.
4. Burning your jollof rice a little adds a beautiful flavour to it. This is usually done to have a perfect jollof rice taste.
5. Fry toasting your raw washed rice in vegetable oil, before using it to cook your jollof rice, makes it brown a bit, gives it a beautiful flavour and makes it not stick together when cooked.
6. It is best not to use your kitchen spoon to turn your Jollof rice; use your wooden spoon rather. You can also divide the rice into 2 parts.
7. If you want your Jollof rice to have a great taste, make sure you fry all your spices, herbs, and seasonings perfectly.
8. It is best to use a thick-based aluminum or stainless pot to cook your jollof rice, but do not use a nonstick pot. Your jollof rice must burn, which is part of the recipe and the reason for using such a pot to cook it.
9. When preparing your jollof rice, it is best to fry on medium heat and simmer on low heat.
10. Do not use too much water to cook your jollof rice, as steam is really what is needed to cook a perfect jollof rice.
11. When making your jollof rice, make sure you fry the tomato mix very well, to prevent tart or sour taste.
12. Chicken or turkey stock is the best stock to prepare a delicious jollof rice owing to their massive taste. It is best to use more chicken stock than water or an equal ratio to cook your jollof rice.
13. For your best jollof rice texture, use long-grain rice to prepare it, because it has less starch. (I prefer short grains tho).
14. Colour, texture, flavour are the 3 main things needed for a perfect jollof rice.
15. Using butter to prepare your jollof rice would make the rice look shiny and also, would make the rice not stick together. Also, butter adds a better taste to the jollof rice.
16. You can use vegetables of choice or parsley to garnish your jollof rice after cooking it, to beautify it, and also, to make it more richer.
17. For your perfect jollof rice colour, make sure you use tinned tomato to cook it. You can also use tatashe/shombo or paprika to enhance that beautiful jollof rice red colour.
ALSO READ: The Ghana Jollof Savory – A Delightful West African Delicacy
18. Curry powder, thyme, bay leaf, chicken stock, and jollof rice spice mix are the secret ingredients for cooking a perfect mouthwatering jollof rice.
19. Scent leaf, stockfish, kpomo, and locust beans should never be used to cook your jollof rice, so as not to ruin the taste.
20. Whenever you are using turmeric or crayfish to cook your jollof rice, make sure you use them in small quantities so that the crayfish will not ruin the taste and also, that the tumeric does not disturb that beautiful red colour.
21. Study your rice as to know the level of water you should add, order to avoid soggy rice at the end.
22. The timing for adding each Ingredient is very important for a perfect jollof rice.
23. Once you have added the rice, make sure you don’t turn the jollof rice too much like you are making Amala, to allow it to cook perfectly.
Credit: Tastify