Jollof: fry the base until thick
Jollof starts with a blended base of tomato, red pepper, onion and chile. Fried in oil, the water cooks off, the flavor concentrates and the paste darkens. It's ready when oil separates at the edges. A base that isn't cooked down leaves the dish watery.
Add the rice and stock
Rice goes in with stock. Its starch swells as it absorbs the hot liquid, and a tight lid on low heat lets steam finish the grains. Too much liquid turns them mushy. A thin crust at the bottom is prized by many cooks. Don't lift the lid.
Test yourself
Questions from the interactive lesson, with the answer and the why.
Why fry the blended base for a long time before adding the rice?
To boil off water so the flavor concentrates. Less water means a thicker, darker, more savory base.
True or false: Oil separating and pooling at the edges is a sign the jollof base is ready.
True. When the water is gone, oil separates and pools at the edge of the base.
Fill the blank: A base that is still watery adds extra liquid, which leaves the rice ___.
A base that is still watery adds extra liquid, which leaves the rice mushy. Excess liquid keeps cooking the grains until they break down.
What went wrong? You fry the blended base for two minutes, then add rice and stock. The jollof tastes sharp and raw, and the color is pale.
The base was not fried until thick and dark. A short fry leaves water and raw tomato taste behind.
The pot looks dry but the rice is still hard. What helps?
Add a splash of hot stock and re-cover on low. Steam from the extra liquid finishes the grains gently.