How to make Jollof Rice with Brown Rice | Vegan Recipe

Jollof rice is a delicious African tomato rice dish that is spicy and has an intense flavor. My version is made with brown rice in the Instant Pot. It is vegan and absolutely delicious.

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Being a South Indian, I love rice based dishes for any time of the day. They could be Indian like this spicy coconut rice or this curd rice.

This African tomato rice is right up my alley. It is spicy with the addition of curry powder, thyme and has an intense tomato flavor making it absolutely delicious.

Jollof rice is originally from Senegal. But it is widely made in other west African countries like Nigeria, Ghana and so on. There are some regional differences in how the recipe is made but essentially it is the same delicious tomato rice.

Traditionally jellof rice is made with long grain white rice. But my recipe uses brown rice and can either be baked in the oven or made in an Instant pot.

Why I love this recipe

• it has an intense tomato flavor
• easy to make
• needs simple pantry ingredients
• perfect side dish for any meal
• easily customizable

Ingredients

This recipe needs some basic pantry staple ingredients. Here is what you need:

Brown Rice - medium or long grain brown rice is best to use in this recipe.

Tomato Paste -

Dried Thyme - you can use fresh thyme instead, if you have it.

Curry powder - look for Caribbean or Jamaican style curry powder for the most authentic taste.

You need the following to make the tomato broth:

Produce - onion, garlic, green chili*, red bell pepper*, tomatoes

Vegetable broth

Instructions

Start the recipe by making the tomato mixture. Blend onion, garlic, green chilies, pepper and tomato along with veggie broth (if necessary) into a smooth paste.

I used my 3 qt Instant pot to make this recipe, but you can also bake it - instructions in the recipe card.

Start Instant pot on Saute Mode, add the thinly sliced onions and cook till lightly browned around the edges. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, for 1~2 minutes.

Add the ground tomato mixture, dried thyme, curry powder, salt and pepper. Cover and cook until all of the moisture has been absorbed and the mixture thickens*. The mixture will splutter quite a bit, so make sure to have the lid handy while stirring.

Wash and drain the rice. Add the drained rice to the pot, mix to combine. Add water and green peas. Close the lid and make sure that the valve is in 'sealing' position.

Turn off the 'saute' mode and turn IP on 'manual/ pressure cook' mode for 22 minutes.

Once the cooking time is up, let the pressure release naturally. Optionally, you can add a dab of butter to the rice at this point.

Then gently fluff the rice, garnish with cilantro and serve hot. If desired, stir in thinly sliced onion and chopped tomato into the rice just before serving.

How to Serve

Traditionally jollof rice is served with a number of side dishes - stewed meats, fried plantains, cucumber tomato salad etc.

Here are a few vegetarian side dishes that can be served with jollof rice. These are definitely not authentic combos but make for a delicious and wholesome meal.

• Ugandan G-Nut Sauce
• Ethiopian Lentil Stew
• Potato Lentil Stew
• Paneer Veggie curry
• Vegan Andhra Kodi kura

Tips

• Long grain or medium grain brown rice is best to use in the recipe.
• Caribbean/ Jamaican style curry powders give the best flavor to this dish.
• If you like spicy food, then feel free to use a scotch bonnet chili in the recipe.
• Red bell pepper adds both flavor and beautiful color to the tomato mixture. Feel free to substitute it with orange or yellow bell peppers.
• Make sure to cook off all of the moisture from the ground tomato mixture. Mixture should be thick as shown in the step by step photo.
• You can add vegetables like cabbage, eggplant, carrot, greens etc. and cook along with rice.
• To make this a one pot meal, add cooked beans (chickpeas or other small white beans) or tofu or lentils to the dish.
• Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for 2~3 days in the fridge. The dish can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
• There are chances that the rice may not be completely cooked after the set time. So if the rice looks a little hard and uncooked, then:
  • If using the instant pot - add ½~¾ cup of water and pressure cook for another 4~5 minutes.
  • If baking - then add ¼~½ cup of water over the rice and bake for another 10 minutes or so. On the contrary, if the rice is very wet, loosely cover to allow a little steam to escape and continue to bake another 8~10 minutes.

Few more international vegetarian dishes to try

• Baleadas from Honduras
• Lebanese Moussaka
• Lahmacun - Turkish Pizza
• Tabbouleh, hummus & pita platter from the Middle east
• Sri Lankan Vegetable Curry

I love hearing from you!! If you’ve tried this and liked it, then don't forget to let me know. Give a star rating and let me know in the comments below. Also tag me in your creations on Instagram @cooks_hideout. I love sharing photos when people make my recipes. You can use the hashtag #cookshideout too.