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Jollof Party Rice

Also known as Jollof Party Rice (Yoruba Owambe — Grand Scale)

Owambe Party Jollof Rice is the undisputed crown jewel of Nigerian party food — the smoky, deeply flavoured, perfectly seasoned one-pot rice that defines the entire Nigerian Owambe (Yoruba party) experience. It is cooked in enormous iron pots over firewood or coal fires at outdoor parties, producing the legendary party jollof with its coveted smoky bottom.

Jollof Party Rice, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • 10 big cups of parboiled long-grain rice, washed
  • 12 big ripe tomatoes, blended
  • 8 big Tatashe (red bell peppers), blended
  • 6 Atarodo (hot chilli peppers), blended
  • 3 big onions — 2 blended with peppers, 1 sliced
  • 8 cooking spoons of vegetable oil
  • 3 big big tablespoons of tomato paste
  • 1 whole chicken and a big quantity assorted beef, cooked
  • 5 big glasses of well-seasoned chicken and meat stock
  • 5 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
  • 2 big tablespoons of curry powder
  • 2 big tablespoons of thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 big tablespoons of butter — for the finish
  • Salt to taste

Method

  1. 01

    Cooking All the Proteins. Season and cook the whole chicken and assorted beef separately in well-seasoned stock. Reserve all the combined stock. Fry the cooked proteins in hot oil until golden-brown. Set aside.

  2. 02

    Building the Grand Pepper Base. Heat 8 cooking spoons of oil in the largest available pot. Fry the tomato paste for 5 minutes. Pour in all the blended tomatoes, Tatashe, Atarodo and onion. Fry very vigorously for 35 to 45 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. At party scale, this base must be cooked for longer than the home version — the pepper must be deeply dark, thick and the oil clearly floating on top. This is the foundation of Owambe Jollof.

  3. 03

    Seasoning the Party Base. Add curry, thyme, bay leaves, all seasoning cubes and salt. Add the cooked proteins. Stir and fry for 5 more minutes.

  4. 04

    Adding the Stock. Pour in all 5 glasses of well-seasoned stock. Taste — it should be bold and slightly over-seasoned since the rice will absorb the seasoning. Bring to a vigorous rolling boil.

  5. 05

    Adding the Rice. Add all the washed parboiled rice. Stir once from the bottom upward to combine everything. Cover tightly — first with aluminium foil wrapped around the pot rim, then with the lid. This double seal traps every molecule of steam.

  6. 06

    Cooking the Party Jollof. Cook on medium heat for 25 minutes without opening. After 25 minutes, open carefully, stir from the bottom to the top, add butter. Re-seal completely.

  7. 07

    Creating the Legendary Smoky Bottom. Increase heat to maximum for the final 8 to 10 minutes. The base of the rice will caramelise and char slightly — this is the coveted smoky bottom. You will smell a faint smokiness — this is correct. Remove from heat immediately. Leave sealed for 10 minutes. When you open, the rice should be brilliantly orange-red, perfectly cooked and fragrant with the signature party smokiness.

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