Chicken Jollof-Style Rice

Ingredients

• 1 large Red bell pepper (diced)
• 1 large Tomato (diced)
• 1 Onion (diced, for spice paste)
• 7 Garlic cloves (whole, for spice paste (6-8 cloves))
• 6 Dried red chillies (soaked in warm water 10 min then drained (4-8 chillies))
• 1 tsp Lemon juice
• 2 tsp Honey
• 1 tsp Chilli flakes
• 1 tsp Dried oregano
• 1 tsp Peri peri seasoning (optional)
• 0.25 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Coriander powder
• 0.5 tsp Black pepper powder
• 2 No-salt chicken stock cube (divided (one for paste, one for rice))
• 500 g Boneless chicken thighs (cut into large chunks)
• 1 Onion (chopped, for the rice)
• 5 Garlic cloves (chopped, for the rice (4-5 cloves))
• 1 tbsp Tomato paste (or 2 tbsp tomato puree)
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 cup Basmati rice (soaked 20–30 min then drained)
• Cooking oil spray (as needed for sautéing)
• Coriander leaves (chopped for garnish)

Steps

1. 1

   Heat a few sprays of oil in a large pan or pot over medium heat. Add the diced bell pepper, tomato, onion, whole garlic cloves, and drained soaked chillies with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are browned, soft, and slightly charred. Add a splash of water if needed to prevent burning.

2. 2

   Allow the cooked vegetables to cool slightly, then transfer them to a blender. Add the lemon juice, honey, chilli flakes, oregano, peri peri seasoning, turmeric, coriander powder, pepper powder, one chicken stock cube, salt, and a little water. Blend until a smooth spice paste forms.

3. 3

   Wipe out the pan and add a few sprays of oil. Add the boneless chicken thigh chunks and approximately one-third of the blended spice paste. Cook for 12–15 minutes, turning the chicken occasionally, until it is fully cooked, glossy, sticky, and browned. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

4. 4

   In the same pan, add more oil spray. Add the chopped onion and garlic for the rice and sauté for about 2 minutes until softened and golden brown.

5. 5

   Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to remove the raw taste. Pour in the remaining two-thirds of the blended spice paste and cook for a further 5 minutes, allowing the flavors to deepen and the sauce to thicken.

6. 6

   Add the bay leaf, 2 cups of hot water, a little salt, and the second chicken stock cube. Stir in the soaked and drained basmati rice. Bring the mixture to a simmer.

7. 7

   Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed the liquid and is tender.

8. 8

   Remove the lid and place the cooked chicken pieces back on top of the rice. Sprinkle with chopped coriander leaves. Cover again and cook for a final 2 minutes to steam everything together.

9. 9

   Serve hot, optionally with a garlicky yogurt sauce as suggested in the video.

Notes

The recipe creator suggests serving this with a garlicky yogurt sauce. If you don't have peri peri seasoning, it can be skipped. Ensure the rice is soaked for at least 20 minutes to achieve the best texture.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• one-pot
• high-protein
• healthy
• chicken
• rice
• spicy
• West African