Jollof Rice with Chicken-Style Tofu

Ingredients

• 300 g tomatoes (Roughly chopped)
• 1 bell pepper (Roughly chopped)
• 1 scotch bonnet pepper (Roughly chopped; adjust to taste for heat)
• 0.5 yellow onion (Roughly chopped)
• 1 red onion (Peeled and finely chopped)
• 85 ml neutral oil (For sweating the onion and frying the tomato paste)
• 125 ml tomato paste
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 3 bay leaves
• salt (To taste)
• 315 ml vegetable broth
• 315 ml water
• 470 g basmati rice (Rinsed)
• 750 g firm tofu (Torn into nugget-sized pieces)
• 3 tbsp toasted sesame oil (For seasoning the tofu)
• 5 tbsp soy sauce or tamari (Use tamari for a gluten-free version)
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (For seasoning the tofu)
• 10 g nutritional yeast (For seasoning the tofu)

Steps

1. 1

   Roughly chop the tomatoes, bell pepper, scotch bonnet pepper, and yellow onion. Place the vegetables in a blender and blend into a purée. For additional depth of flavor, the vegetables may be roasted before blending.

2. 2

   Pour the vegetable purée into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until almost all of the liquid has evaporated.

3. 3

   Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the red onion. Heat the neutral oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat, then add the onion and sweat it until softened.

4. 4

   Add the tomato paste to the pot and fry it over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring regularly so it cooks without burning and develops a deeper flavor.

5. 5

   Add the reduced vegetable purée to the pot. Cook until the oil rises visibly to the surface.

6. 6

   Add the thyme, curry powder, garlic powder, bay leaves, and salt to taste. Stir thoroughly to distribute the seasonings.

7. 7

   Pour in the vegetable broth and water. Add the rinsed basmati rice and stir to combine.

8. 8

   Cover the pot tightly with aluminum foil and cook over low heat for 25 minutes, until the rice has absorbed the liquid and is tender. For a special-occasion variation, add sliced onion and vegan butter at this stage.

9. 9

   While the rice cooks, prepare the tofu. Tear the firm tofu into nugget-sized pieces and place them in a bowl. Add the toasted sesame oil, soy sauce or tamari, apple cider vinegar, and nutritional yeast. Toss until the tofu is evenly coated.

10. 10

    Thread the seasoned tofu pieces onto skewers. Grill them in a pan, under a broiler, or on a barbecue until well browned on each side.

11. 11

    When the rice is cooked, remove it from the heat and fluff it gently with a fork. Serve the rice piping hot with the browned tofu skewers.

Notes

The recipe is the author's interpretation of Nigerian-style jollof rice and uses basmati rice rather than traditional long-grain parboiled rice. Parboiled rice can be used if available, with liquid and cooking time adjusted as needed. Serve with fried plantains for a classic pairing. The dish reheats well and is suitable for batch cooking.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• vegan
• West African
• gluten-free option
• one-pot
• stovetop
• grilled
• batch cooking