Delicious Vegan Jollof Rice
Today we are making vegan Jollof Rice! Have you heard of jollof before? This dish originates from Sub-Saharan and West African countries (eg. Nigeria, Ghana and more). It is a one-pot dish with a base of long-grain rice and tomatoes (a lot), meat, bay leaves, spices and some other vegetables. I love how these changes such as the intense tomato flavor, white pepper and Jamaican curry spice makes this dish taste so unique from other rice dishes!
You have have also heard of dirty rice or dirty jollof. This is a version of jollof rice that uses white rice and gets a “dirty” color when cooked with pieces of meat. Another version is party jollof which uses a different type of rice that gives a smoky flavor.
The way this recipe is prepared is slightly different by country, such as Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and others. Nigeria and Ghana are even known to have a jollof rivalry going on!
I mentioned the main ingredients that go into this dish above. But let’s dive into the substitutions and review what you’ll need before we get to the recipe!
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Jollof Rice Recipe
Jamaican Curry Powder: This Caribbean curry powder is different than regular curry powder because of the higher amount of turmeric in this spice blend. It uses scotch bonnet pepper, dried thyme and allspice (pimento). These unique flavors make this dish taste amazing!
Flavorful Tomato-Based Sauce: The base of this recipe is a smooth paste of tomato puree (hello Vitamin C!), red poblano or red bell peppers, chopped onions, Scotch bonnets and vegetable stock mixed in a food processor. This is what the recipe will cook in, infusing the flavor throughout the rice!
Substitutions
Avocado Oil: Olive oil, refined coconut oil (that doesn’t smell like coconuts), vegetable oil or another neutral oil can be a substitute.
Tomato Paste: You can use canned tomatoes or fresh tomatoes. Even a quick pasta sauce if you really just want the tomato flavors. I used tomato paste in this recipe, and also tried it with a vegan tomato and herb pasta sauce.
Chili Peppers: The recipe I’ve linked below that was a reference uses fresh peppers. However, I choose to use chili pepper flakes.
Onions: In the ingredients below, I’ve specified that one onion should be sliced and the others chopped. This is important, because some of these are being blended, and the others are sauteed.
Jamaican Curry Powder: The blend of spices in this curry powder is different than what you’d use in, for example, an Indian dish. You can find Jamaican/Caribbean curry powder in stores, or you can buy as much as you need from a bulk food grocers if you don’t want an entire carton from the grocery store. It has a yellow color to it, like turmeric.
Vegetable Broth: Use veggie broth cubes (you can find vegan bouillon cubes rather than meat stock for this vegan version), broth powder, pre-made carton broth or a homemade version! Broth and stock cubes are almost the same. However, stock uses a base of bone and broth uses a base of vegetables or meat.
White Pepper: Again, you can find white pepper in most grocery stores. This is one of the specific ingredients that you will usually see in a jollof rice recipe. You can add it at the end just like regular salt and black pepper, for taste.
All About The Rice
Parboiled Rice: Rice contains different starches (amylose and amylopectin), and these will affect how fluffy or sticky the rice becomes. For jollof rice, you’ll want rice higher in amylose. A rice high in amylopectin is something like sticky rice, which clumps together (eg. sushi rice).
Here, we want a type of rice that does not stick together. This starch is the highest in long grain rice, but parboiled rice is thick and long grain, versus a thinner rice like Basmati or Jasmine rice (which are also popular).
Traditionally, parboiled is your best bet for jollof rice. You could use any other type of long grain rice, but the flavor will be slightly different. You’ll also need to use a little less broth to cook it, so I would start out with a half cup less, and add more as the rice is cooking. Make sure you do rinse the rice before using (multiple times) to get rid of excess starch.
Jollof Rice Recipe Notes
- Serving ideas are vegan yogurt, roasted vegetables, protein of choice and/or fried plantains!
- Wash the rice twice with cold water before using. This ensures that the extra starch is taken out of the rice so it doesn’t become mushy jollof.
- For best results, use aluminum foil on top of a tight-fitting lid on your pot to cook the rice.
- If the jollof is sticky or dry, add another splash of water or broth.
More Easy Meal Recipes You’ll Love
If you make this vegan Jollof Rice, then leave a comment and star rating! Don’t forget to tag your photos @peanut_palate on Instagram. Enjoy!
Jollof Rice
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Blender
- Skillet/Pan
Ingredients
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ½ medium red bell pepper
- ¾ medium red onion ¼ sliced thinly, ½ chopped
- ¼ small scotch bonnet pepper for optional spiciness // stem removed
- pinch red chili flakes
- 1¾ cups vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp pink salt
- ½ tsp paprika
- white pepper to taste
- ½ tsp Caribbean/Jamaican curry powder
- 1 medium bay leaf
- ½ cup long grain parboiled rice rinsed
- ½ tsp vegan butter
Instructions
- Blend the first five ingredients (for the onions, only the chopped ones here, and for the broth only ½ cup) together in a food processor until smooth.
- Pour into a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower the heat and let it simmer for about 10-12 minutes.
- In a skillet over medium heat, add the oil and sliced onion. Add in the seasonings.
- Turn the heat to low. Stir for 1-2 minutes. Add in the curry powder and bay leaf. Stir for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add tomato mixture from Step 1. Stir and let it sit for about 10 minutes with the lid halfway on, letting the mixture reduce.
- Add the remaining broth to the pot and bring it to a boil on medium high heat for about one minute. Continue stirring it so it doesn't stick to the pot.
- Turn the heat to low. Rinse the dry rice a few times with water in a separate bowl, until the water is not milky.
- Add the rice and butter. Stir and cover with a piece of aluminum foil, then put a lid on the pot.
- Keep the heat on low for 30-40 minutes. Stir it every five minutes, making sure the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.
- If it starts to stick, add more broth or warm water if the rice is not fully cooked. Once cooked, remove from the heat and serve with fried plantains or mixed vegetables!
Notes
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Storage
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- Adapted from this recipe.
