Chicken Jollof-Style Rice

Ingredients

• 1 red bell pepper (large, diced)
• 1 tomato (large, diced)
• 1 onion (diced)
• 7 garlic cloves (whole (6-8 cloves))
• 4 dried red chillies (soaked in warm water 10 min then drained)
• salt (pinch)
• oil (a few sprays)
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp honey
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp peri peri seasoning (optional)
• 0.25 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 0.5 tsp pepper powder
• 1 no-salt chicken stock cube
• salt (to taste)
• water (for blending)
• 500 g boneless chicken thighs
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 4.5 garlic cloves (chopped (4-5 cloves))
• 1 tbsp tomato paste (or 2 tbsp tomato puree)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cup hot water (approx — check as it cooks)
• 1 cup basmati rice (soaked 20–30 min then drained)
• coriander leaves (chopped)
• salt (to taste)
• 1 zero salt chicken cube (optional)

Steps

1. 1

   Heat a few sprays of oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the diced bell pepper, diced tomato, diced onion, whole garlic cloves, and drained chillies with a pinch of salt.

2. 2

   Cook the vegetables until they are brown, soft, and slightly charred, adding a little water if needed to prevent burning. Remove from heat and let cool.

3. 3

   Transfer the cooked vegetables to a blender. Add the lemon juice, honey, chilli flakes, oregano, peri peri seasoning, turmeric powder, coriander powder, pepper powder, one chicken stock cube, salt, and some water. Blend until the mixture forms a smooth spice paste.

4. 4

   In the same pan, heat a few sprays of oil. Add one-third of the blended spice paste and the boneless chicken thighs.

5. 5

   Cook the chicken for 12–15 minutes, turning occasionally, until the chicken is glossy, sticky, and browned. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

6. 6

   In the same pan, add a few more sprays of oil. Add the chopped onion and chopped garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes until soft.

7. 7

   Stir in the tomato paste (or puree) and cook for 1 minute.

8. 8

   Add the remaining two-thirds of the spice paste to the pan and cook for a further 5 minutes to deepen the flavor.

9. 9

   Add the bay leaf, 2 cups of hot water, a little salt, and the second stock cube (if using).

10. 10

    Stir in the soaked and drained basmati rice. Bring the mixture to a simmer.

11. 11

    Cover the pan and cook on low heat for 15 minutes until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed.

12. 12

    Place the cooked chicken pieces back on top of the rice. Sprinkle with chopped coriander leaves.

13. 13

    Cover the pan again and cook for 2 more minutes to heat through. Serve hot.

Notes

The creator suggests serving this with a garlicky yogurt sauce. You can skip the peri peri seasoning if you don't have it. Ensure the rice is soaked for at least 20-30 minutes for the best texture.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• chicken
• rice
• one-pot
• healthy
• high-protein
• spicy
• dinner