This is my first crack at native jollof rice or palm oil rice. However I am very pleased with the results and here is my take on it. The protein of choice can be used are fish, lamb, chicken, goat, beef, stockfish, dried smoked fish, titus sardines and shell fish like shrimp and crab.
You can use any type of beans with this dish too and the veggies of choice are mixed veggies, carrots, corn, peas, ugu leaves which are pumpkin leaves. Also any type of rice can be used too as well.
I made the blended pepper sauce first by adding 1/4 cup of water in the blender. I added 1/2 of an onion sliced and blended along with 1 red bell pepper, 1 habenero or scotch bonnet with the seeds removed, 1 tomato and 1 clove of garlic. I set this aside and on high heat I added to the pot 3 cooking spoons of red palm oil. I let it melt a little bit and added the remaining half of the onion in half moon slices and I browned it. I soaked 1 handful of dried ugu leaves (pumpkin leaves).
If using beans soak 1/2 of a cup overnight and drain and wash and pressure cook for 20 to 25 minutes with 1 liter or 1 quart of water. Let the pressure subside before opening. Also cook your meat or other protein of choice ahead of time. Give or take you can add the meat if it is very tough to the pressure cooker and cook for 30 minutes then let pressure escape. If cooking meat or beans in the pressure cooker do not drain the liquid because it is the stock and you need it for the rice.
The stock left over from the cooking of the meat, chicken and fish will end up in the rice. If using stockfish and dried smoked fish then soak overnight and rinse This will make it soft and also remove the salt from the dried smoked fish.
To the onion and palm oil I added 1 pinch each of red chili powder, boni bonga fish powder and crayfish powder. I added 4 smoked dried shrimps. I added 1 bullion cube crumbled in to the pot then I added 3 dashes of maggi or knorr aroma. I added the blended pepper sauce and tomato paste. I added the ugu (pumpkin leaves) after I had drained it. Here you can add your protein of choice, veggies of choice and or beans if you wish. You can also add your stockfish and dried smoked fish if that is what you desire.
I added 3 cups of rice to a bowl and washed it till the water turns clear. I added it to the pot and here the stock or bean juice can be added to cook the rice. If not then add 1/2 gallon or 2 liters of water and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to low and cover the lid underneath with almuminum foil. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until done. Turn off the heat and let it sit for 20 minutes.
This is so yummy. I even put a can of titus sardines on top of it. Since these are fully cooked that there is no need to cook further.
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