Why It Works
- Sealing the pot with a double layer of foil or parchment under the lid traps steam, ensuring the rice cooks evenly while absorbing the sauce.
- Cooking the rice over low heat until just tender, then cranking up the heat to toast the bottom creates a smoky crust without undercooking the grains.
In many parts of Nigeria, our core memories include feasting on jollof rice (also often referred to as jollof), especially the smoky party rice version. It’s the dish you can count on seeing at almost every celebration: birthdays, weddings, Sunday family lunches, and more. There’s even a saying, “A party without jollof is just a meeting,” and it’s true.
Serious Eats / Maureen Celestine
Though we make fine pots of it in Nigeria, jollof isn’t ours alone—it originated in Senegal and The Gambia, where it’s known as thiéboudienne and benachin, respectively. Today, it’s a beloved staple all across West Africa, with each country putting its own stamp on the dish through the choice of rice, seasonings, and other additions. In Senegal, broken jasmine rice cooked with fish in rof—a green parsley sauce—along with vegetables, is the classic version. In Ghana, fragrant jasmine rice lends a distinct aroma to the pot. In Nigeria, we favor parboiled (converted) long-grain rice, which holds its shape while absorbing the richly spiced sauce. One of my personal favorites is Nigerian smoky party jollof—the kind that tastes like it’s been lovingly cooked in someone’s backyard, in a giant pot over a wood fire, just as it was before gas stoves took over.
Traditionally, that deep, unmistakable smoky flavor came from the sheer scale and method of cooking: big, blackened cauldrons balanced over open flames, the rice at the bottom catching just enough heat to toast and char without burning through. That’s the flavor of outdoor parties, the smell that tells you you’re in for a good time. These days, I recreate it at home with a stovetop shortcut that gets surprisingly close—no firewood required.
Serious Eats / Maureen Celestine
The key is patience and timing. First, you cook the long-grain rice in a rich tomato-pepper base with curry powder, dried thyme, and curry-scented Nigerian stock—until the grains are tender and the flavors meld. Only then, once the rice is just tender, do you turn up the heat, and that’s when the real party begins. For just a few minutes, you let the rice toast against the bottom of the pot, creating a layer that’s deeply browned, a little crisp, and infused with a sweet, smoky aroma. The rice will crackle and pop as it cooks—that’s the magic happening. Push it too far and you’ll tip into bitterness, but get it right and it’s pure gold, so let your nose guide you and pull it off the heat once you smell the faint nutty aroma.
Serious Eats / Maureen Celestine
In some Nigerian kitchens, that prized bottom layer, or bottom pot—often called “the cook’s reward”—is especially prized. Sometimes, we scrape it up, mixing some into the fluffy rice for flavor while sneaking a few crunchy bits for ourselves. Avoid nonstick pots for this; direct contact with the heat works best to create the char. A heavy-bottomed stainless steel or enameled cast iron pot works best. The reward is rice that’s fluffy yet smoky, with a bottom crust that’s as prized as the party itself.
This Beloved “Party Rice” Has a Crispy, Crunchy Secret
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For the Stew Base:
1 pound (453 g) plum or Roma tomatoes (about 3 large tomatoes), cored and roughly chopped
2 medium red bell peppers (6 ounces each; 170 g) or 2 red shepherd peppers, stemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped
1 medium red onion (8 ounces; 225 g), roughly chopped
1/4 Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, stemmed and seeded
1 1/2 cups (355 ml) curry-flavored Nigerian stock
For the Jollof Rice:
1/4 cup (60 ml) neutral oil such as peanut or vegetable oil, divided
1 medium red onion (8–ounce; 225 g), thinly sliced, divided
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons Caribbean/Jamaican-style curry powder, plus more if needed
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black or white pepper
2 tablespoons (30 g) tomato paste
3 teaspoons (12 g) unsalted butter, divided (see note)
1 1/2 cups (355 ml) curry-flavored Nigerian stock
2 cups (400 g) converted long-grain rice (sometimes sold as parboiled rice) or Golden Sella basmati, rinsed
1 plum or Roma tomato (about 4 ounces; 120 g), halved then sliced thinly crosswise into half-moons
For the Stew Base: In a blender jar, combine tomatoes, red pepper, onion, Scotch bonnet or habanero chiles, and stock. Blend on high speed (in batches if needed) until a smooth purée, about 2 minutes. This will yield just shy of 5 cups (1.18L).
Serious Eats / Maureen Celestine
In a 3-quart saucier or saucepan, add blended vegetable base and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, cover partially. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping bottom of pan with a wooden spoon to avoid scorching, until reduced by half (roughly about 2 1/2 cups; 590 ml), about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Serious Eats / Maureen Celestine
For the Jollof Rice: In a 4- or 5-quart pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add half of onion, bay leaves, curry powder, dried thyme, a large pinch of salt, and a large pinch of black or white pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is fragrant and onion softens slightly, about 3 minutes.
Serious Eats / Maureen Celestine
Stir in tomato paste and 2 teaspoons butter. Cook, stirring constantly, until tomato paste darkens, about 3 minutes. Stir in reserved stew base and cook over medium-low heat to maintain a gentle simmer, covered partially, until reduced by half, about 15 minutes.
Serious Eats / Maureen Celestine
Stir in stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The curry powder should come through pleasantly but not be overpowering; whisk in more curry powder to taste if desired.
Serious Eats / Maureen Celestine
Stir in rice until evenly coated in sauce. Cover pot with a double piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper, crimped down around the edges to seal pot tightly, then top with lid. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and cook for 20 minutes. Uncover pot and gently stir rice to redistribute. Cover again and continue to cook until rice is just cooked through but grains still retain a firm bite and the liquid is mostly absorbed, about 15 minutes longer. If rice is undercooked and/or still wet, cover and cook 5 minutes longer.
Serious Eats / Maureen Celestine
Stir in sliced tomato along with remaining sliced onion and remaining 1 teaspoon butter; cook uncovered until butter is fully melted, then stir briefly to combine.
Serious Eats / Maureen Celestine
Cover with the lid, and here’s where you “party.” Turn the heat to high; the rice will begin to pop and crackle. Cook until it smells nutty and toasted, 1 to 4 minutes, check the bottom with a wooden spoon for a golden color. Remove from the heat, and let it stand, covered for about 10 minutes.
Serious Eats / Maureen Celestine
Carefully uncover and remove and discard the bay leaves. Fluff with a fork, scraping up toasted rice from the bottom to combine. Serve.
Serious Eats / Maureen Celestine
Special Equipment
Blender, 3-quart saucier or saucepan, 4- or 5-quart pot or Dutch oven, aluminum foil or parchment paper
Make-Ahead and Storage
Leftover rice can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
