How to prepare jollof rice with carrot and green beans
Do you love meals with rice? Many Nigerian ladies know this awesome Jollof rice recipe, and you undoubtedly should try it if you would like to cook delicious, appetizing, and nutritious dinner. Let us learn how to prepare Jollof rice with carrot and green beans. I can bet all your friends and family members would fall in love with this tasty meal.
Jollof rice
Why is this amazing meal called Jollof rice? We will hear two different names. Some Africans call this recipe ‘benachin’ and others simply say ‘wolof’ and both words mean the same thing. They are for ‘one pot’ dinner.
In other words, Jollof rice is a one-pot dish, because all the ingredients for Jollof rice are mixed in the same pot. The similar recipes are used all across West Africa, and Nigerians, among others, are in love with this delicious dish.
How to cook Jollof rice
Before we get into the detailed guide on how to prepare jollof, we should learn which ingredients are needed for Jollof rice.
There are several versions of Jollof rice recipe used in different parts of Nigeria and other African countries. This time we want to explain how you can cook Jollof rice with carrot and green beans.
Here is a list of ingredients for Jollof rice:
- Green beans – 1 cup
- Carrot – 6 middle-sized pieces
- Tomatoes – 2-3 middle-sized pieces
- Rice – 4 cups
- Meat (chicken, beef, fish, etc.) – 0.5-1 kilograms
- Peas – 0.5 cup
- Pepper (of green color, bell shape) – 2 pieces
- Bonney pepper (of red and/or yellow color) – 3 pieces
- Oil – 150 milliliters
- Onion – 1 piece
- Seasoning (thyme, curry powder, ground crayfish, spice, cubes etc.) – 1-2 tablespoon of each
- Salt – to your taste
- Water – enough to cover the rice
Since different families prepare Jollof rice with carrot and green beans in their own ways, you can also replace some ingredients to your personal taste. For example, you can use canned or fresh tomatoes. You can choose long white rice or go with short brown rice. You can choose between groundnut and vegetable oil. You can add more vegetables (peas, cabbage, etc.) or use less extra ingredients. It is all up to you.
READ ALSO: How to cook fried rice with vegetables
Jollof rice recipe: How to prepare your ideal meal
- Step 1. Make sure your meat (any type you are using) is not frozen. It needs to be seasoned, so use your ingredients such as pieces of onion, peppers, salt, garlic, and cook meat in a pot covered with water for 15-40 minutes. The time of cooking depends on the meat. Fish and chicken will become soft much quicker than beef. When meat is very soft, you need to remove it from the broth (don’t pour it away, you’ll need it later). Place meat aside for a while.
- Step 2. Add rice into a pot and cover with water. Boil it for approximately 10 minutes. Remove all the water. Place your partly cooked rice aside for a while.
- Step 3. It is time to preheat your pot. Cover the bottom of it with a bit of oil and fry pieces of soft meat (chicken, fish, beef, whatever you have cooked in the first step). Place the fried meat aside.
- Step 4. Don’t wash the pot yet. You can now dice tomatoes and fry them carefully along with chopped onion. Make sure you love the taste, before adding some seasonings such as pepper, thyme, crayfish, etc. Let all these ingredients simmer for a couple of minutes.
- Step 5. Now pour the broth (water from your meat) into the pot. If needed, add more water and seasonings. Cover your pot. It has to boil and simmer for a while.
- Step 6. Start cooking Jollof rice by adding rice to your pot. You can leave it simmering on low heat. Make sure there is enough water, since the rice has to be cooked covered with water until it becomes soft, delicious, and water dries. There is no need to stir your meal yet, so periodically taste it to be sure everything is going like planned.
- Step 7. Wait until rice turns soft and water vanishes, now you are ready to place carrot and green beans along with peas and green pepper inside the pot. You will need to chop all these vegetables before mixing them into the pot with cooked rice.
- Step 8. Cover your pot. Let all the Jollof rice ingredients cook for approximately 5 more minutes before you gently stir everything in your pot using a wooden spoon. You are an artist now, so spread all your beautiful ingredients carefully to get an even look of the dish.
- Step 9. Hooray! Your delicious rice is ready, so you can now surprise your family with tasty Jollof rice served with fried pieces of meat or fish.
P.S. It is possible to prepare your delicious dinner on a stove, using firewood or a gas top. Any cooking method can be used with Jollof rice recipe, just be attentive, and taste your meal at different stages of its preparation to make sure you achieve the desired taste.
Now you know how to prepare Jollof rice with vegetables and you can cook this popular African meal for holidays. It can be an excellent addition to your New Year party, graduation celebration, wedding event, and other ceremonies.
READ ALSO: How to cook party jollof rice with bay leaf
Source: Legit.ng
