How To Cook Delicious Cheap Jollof Rice Recipe

Jollof rice is reddish in color. Jollof rice is one of Nigeria's most popular foods. It is commonly served at birthday parties, wedding parties, Thanksgiving ceremonies, and other ceremonies in Nigeria.

I know you must have come across photos of Jollof rice served with roasted chicken, moi-moi, salad, fried plantains, or fish on the internet, but don't get it twisted. You can cook a delicious pot of Jollof rice without spending too much. You can swap the chicken and the rest for suya or boiled eggs, just like I did.

Ingredients to cook jollof rice for 2 servings

The costs of some of the ingredients in Naira are shown along with their common names in Nigeria.

• rice: 1 and a quarter cups (half derica)
• vegetable oil: quater cup (quater ilarin)
• red bell pepper: 5 pieces (Tatashe N100) Bell peppers are less pungent than ata rodo. They are used to add color to food.
• Scotch bonnet pepper: 6 pieces (Ata rodo N50)
• tomato paste: 1 small satchet - 70 grams (N100) 
• seasoning cubes: 3 cubes - 12 grams (N30)
• curry masala - quarter teaspoon
• a pinch of salt
• water
• garlic: quarter teaspoon
• onions: 2 small sizes (N30)
• egg: 2 pieces
• cray fish - half teaspoon (N50)

So I went to the market to buy rice and some other ingredients.

raw food ingredients

As you can see from the picture above, I bought rice, scotch bonnet pepper, red bell pepper, garlic, onions, tomato paste, egg, and seasoning cubes. I didn't buy salt, vegetable oil, or water because I already had them in store.

Getting the ingredients ready for Jollof rice

I started by parboiling the rice. While the rice was on fire, I pounded the scotch bonnet pepper, red bell pepper, garlic, and onions in a mortar. I sliced and pounded the garlic and onion until smooth before adding the peppers. but you can use a blender for yours. I used a mortar because I didn't want my pepper (bell pepper) to be smooth because I like the look of crushed pepper in rice.

parboiled rice

pepper, garlic and onions

After that, I measured and set away the remaining ingredients (oil, salt, seasoning, crayfish, and curry masala).

How to cook Nigerian jollof rice

• Fry the pepper and tomatoes: heat up the vegetable oil and add the blended pepper and onion mix; stir fry for two minutes before adding the tomato paste.  Add the curry and continue to stir-fry for an additional one minute.
• Add one and a half cups of water and stir. Add seasoning, grinded crayfish, and salt, stir, and bring to a boil.
• Add the cooked rice and stir. Add the raw egg so that it can cook alongside the rice.
• Check your food occasionally while cooking over medium heat.

For a better understanding, see the photographs below;