Jollof rice is a delicious staple dish enjoyed in different countries across West Africa and the world at large. It has a rich and vibrant red color with a distinct flavor and aroma, filling everyone before even having a taste of it.
However, the process of preparing a pot of jollof rice can be unbearably long and time-consuming, which intensifies in situations where you're cooking a large amount for your family or visiting guests.
In this article, we'll examine a few fool-proof and clever jollof hacks that will help you impress your guests all the time, almost winning yourself the title of a chef.
1. Prep Your Ingredients
In cooking generally, prepping ingredients ahead of use is a time saver. It helps to cut down to a reasonable extent the amount of time you'll spend in the kitchen, thereby allowing you ample time to bond and mingle with your guests.
You can grill your peppers and other ingredients needed for the tomato base and blend, chop your onions and tomatoes for garnishing, and get your chicken or beef stock ready. You can do all of these the night before your hosting day.
2. Cook in One-Pot
You can boil your protein of choice and still cook your jollof rice in the same pot without hassles. This simple hack will help to intensify the flavor of your dish as the flavors of the protein will infuse beautifully into the rice.
You can start by boiling your protein in the pot and frying in a saucepan. Transfer the stock into a bowl and start frying your tomato base in oil in the same pot. Once your rice is almost done, transfer the fried protein into the jollof rice and leave to steam together for a few minutes before turning off the heat.
Additionally, this hack helps you reduce the number of pots used while also reducing the amount of time you'll spend cleaning up after cooking.
3. Use Pre-Made Jollof Sauce
Using a pre-made Jollof sauce like our authentic Jiffy jollof sauce will help you save time while cooking. Since the process required for making the perfect jollof rice base calls for frying for a long time, using our Jiffy Jollof sauce already cuts that off. So you can make a tasty and easy jollof rice in less than 30 minutes.
4. Use a Simple Recipe
Another hack for making the perfect jollof rice that can also serve as a perfect one-pot dinner recipe is to use a simple recipe.
The original jollof rice recipe is time-consuming and requires a bit of brain-work. Simplifying the recipe helps to save time. Follow a basic recipe that uses the easily accessible ingredients instead of wasting time sourcing those that aren't readily available.
5. Garnish with Frozen Vegetables
Serving your guests plain jollof rice isn't bad, but garnishing your jollof rice is another hack you can use to impress your guests. The addition of frozen veggies like peas, carrots, green, red, or yellow bell peppers can elevate the taste of your dish while adding an extra dose of nutritional benefits.
The use of frozen veggies is a brilliant way to save time on chopping.
Conclusion
These simple hacks are a sure way to impress your guests with a delicious, flavorful and visually appealing jollof rice.
Also, prepping ahead and using our already-made Jiffy Jollof Sauce helps you save time both during and after cooking so you can have time to bond and catch up with your guests instead of spending all your time in the kitchen cooking.