Raisin Jollof Rice

I have been making Raisin Jollof Rice for as long as I can remember. My close friends and family are the only ones that can testify to the joy it brings their hearts or they pretend it does at least. I decided to widen that net and share with some paying customers. They have since chased me down kicking and screaming for the recipe. I am finally ready to share it with the world.

Jollof Warriors beware! This is not your typical jollof nor am I purporting this to be the ideal jollof recipe but what I can promise is you would love it.

I participated in a cooking competition a few weeks ago for breast cancer awareness. It was hosted by Run for a Cure Africa and they titled the competition Jollof Wars. There were five countries represented at the competition; Nigeria, Gambia, Ghana, Cameroon and Togo. I’d cut to the chase and say Gambia won and we came second. They were the inventors of Jollof rice so I wasn’t mad at it. If you also saw the lady that won, you would know she cooks jollof in her sleep.

I was thrilled to share my cooking on a stage with the other contestants but I chose to try my hands at some experimental Jollof. This Jollof had raisins, blue cheese, liquid smoke, scallops, edible flower, edible gold leaves and a host of other things. Not your typical Nigerian Jollof but it was mine to play with. The judges had pleasant things to say about the jollof from the presentation to the delicate flavours it had and I was quite pleased so I have decided to share the recipe.

 

Disclaimers

In remaking the recipe for the blog, I realized blue cheese may not be as accessible for everyone so you can add parmesan or mature cheddar. They are sharp tasting so they would provide the flavour you are looking for. If you are using parmesan, I recommend you top the finished Jollof rice with the cheese instead of cooking it in the sauce. Should you decide to go the route of matured cheddar, please use sparingly as it’s not necessarily for cooking, it is more to eat with crackers and wine. If you do not have access to liquid smoke, you can increase the heat towards the end to burn the bottom of your jollof pot. I will come back to update this page when I find a local supplier for liquid smoke that is reliable until then it’s amazon time.

 

Recipe for Raisin Jollof Rice

Ingredients

1.5 cups of Rice

2 Large Tomatoes

3 Tatashe (Paprika)

2 Scotch Bonnet Peppers

1 Bell Pepper

1 Large Bulb of Onion

6 cloves of Garlic

A thumb size of Ginger

1/4 cup of Raisins

1 tablespoon of dried Rosemary

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

1/4 Stick of Butter

2 Small Stems of Thyme

2 Tablespoons of Tomato Paste

1 teaspoon of Oregano

2 pieces of Bay leaves

A teaspoon of Curry

1 teaspoon of Black pepper

3-4 Seasoning Cubes

1.5 teaspoons of Salt

1/4 cup of grated Parmesan Cheese

2.5 Tablespoons of Liquid Smoke

1/4 Cup of Cooking Cream

 

Method

Blend your tomato, bell pepper, tatashe, scotch bonnet pepper, 4 cloves of garlic, ginger and half a bulb of onion till smooth.

In a pot, heat up your butter and olive oil and stir fry the rest of your garlic and onions till translucent on medium heat.

Add your thyme and bay leaves.

Stir in your tomato paste and allow to fry for 2-3 minutes.

Pour in 2.5 cups of your blended tomato/pepper mix and stir in.

Season with salt, seasoning cubes, black pepper, oregano, rosemary and curry and stir and allow to simmer for 2- 3 minutes.

Wash your rice and add to the sauce base, reduce the heat to the lowest and cover the pot and allow to steam for about 20-25 minutes. Ensure to check in between and add increments of half a cup of water at intervals when the sauce is dry but the rice is not cooked.

Once the rice is soft, take out the stems of thyme and bay leaves and stir the rice. Add a tablespoon of liquid smoke and stir.

Pour in your cooking cream, stir and add the last tablespoon of liquid smoke after.

Add your raisins and additional thin slices of onions and stir the rice.

Once the rice is ready, top it with grated parmesan cheese on your plate. You can also add cherry tomatoes and parsley to the rice as garnish.