"the bridge is over" jollof rice recipe

Fluffy Nigerian Jollof Rice with Smoky Depth, Fiery Heat, and Rich Tomato Flavor

Now listen here, flavor lovers and kitchen warriors—Mister Señor Love Daddy’s droppin’ heat in the pot with this Nigerian Jollof Rice, a dish so bold and rhythmic it “Bridge Is Over”s bland rice dishes like KRS-One wreckin’ the mic.

We talkin’ grains that stay separate, fluffy, and coated in a fire-red sauce built from tomato paste, fresh ginger, garlic, curry powder, and a habanero that hits like a Bronx battle verse. Palm oil lays the foundation, giving you that deep, smoky earthiness, while low-and-slow stovetop cooking lets the flavors mingle and develop into something worthy of a head-nod and a second helping.

Beats and Eats (music to pair with jollof rice)

BDP’s “The Bridge Is Over” pairs perfectly with Nigerian jollof rice because both come in unapologetically bold, layered, and full of fire. The track hits with sharp, confident energy—no filler, no fluff—just like jollof rice’s deep tomato base, aromatic ginger, garlic, and that unmistakable kick from habanero.

KRS-One’s delivery is crisp and deliberate, echoing the way every grain of jollof rice stays separate, distinct, and seasoned to the core.

Well-cooked jollof rice avoids the scenario of clumpy, soggy rice—use long-grain rice (parboiled if available) for the best structure and flavor absorption - most importantly cooked grains remain separate.

I'm big partial to basmati rice. Rinse your rice well, toast it briefly in the sauce, and keep the heat low with tight foil under the lid to steam, not stew.

Can't find palm oil? A mix of neutral oil and smoked paprika brings that same depth.

The track “The Bridge Is Over” pairs perfectly—classic, sharp, layered with heat, just like the dish.

Serve with fried sweet plantains, grilled chicken thighs, seared duck breast, or spicy grilled beef suya skewers for a full-on West African flavor set that’ll shut down any dinner debate.

Keep up with my food exploits on Instagram and YouTube. If you like any of the music you find on the site, visit me at Spotify to find curated playlists.

Jollof Rice

An easy and flavorful African Jollof Rice Recipe for a non-traditional weeknight side or special occasion side dish.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: African

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 420kcal

Author: Marwin Brown

Ingredients

Jollof Ingredients

• ▢ 2 cups Tomato Puree
• ▢ 2 cups jasmine rice rinsed and drained
• ▢ ¼ cup palm oil or olive oil
• ▢ ½ yellow onion chopped
• ▢ 1 medium red bell pepper
• ▢ 1 tablespoon curry powder
• ▢ ½ tablespoon smoked sweet paprika
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 1 bay leaf
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Tomato Puree Ingredients

• ▢ 1 tablespoon palm oil
• ▢ ½ yellow onion chopped
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic chopped
• ▢ 2 teaspoon fresh ginger chopped
• ▢ 2 habanero chilis seeded and chopped
• ▢ 6 oz can of tomato paste
• ▢ 12 oz canned diced tomatoes
• ▢ 1 teaspoon curry powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Tomato Puree Instructions

• In a large skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and season with salt and other spices. Cook until onions become translucent, 3-5 minutes
• Add garlic, ginger, and chilis and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
  
• You should have a nice aroma now and can add the tomato paste, cooking for another 6-8 minutes. Note: Stir well to ensure paste is incorporated well with the vegetables and cooks evenly.
  
• Transfer all ingredients to blender or food processor and add the diced tomatoes. Process until smooth. Set aside.
  

Jollof Instructions

• In a large skillet over medium, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add bell peppers last 3 minutes.
  
• Stir in the rice, curry powder, paprika, thyme, 1 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring, until the rice is fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
  
• Stir in the bay leaf and 1½ cups water, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the water has been absorbed, about 2 minutes.
  
• Stir in the tomato puree and return to a simmer, then reduce to medium-low. Cover and cook until almost dry and the rice is tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
  
• Let the rice sit for at least 5 minutes after its done cooking, then fluff with fork.
  

Video

Notes

If it's available to you, use palm oil. It will give the rice a distinct red color as well as that African flavor.

Palm oil is common in parts of Africa and imparts a reddish color to the dish. Other oils are perfectly suitable as I know palm oil is not readily available at all grocery stores.

Parboiled rice is preferred in a lot of recipes because it's easy to end up with mushy rice using regular rice. The trade-off, however, is the flavor of the dish isn't as intense. In my experience the longer cook time for regular rice means it stews longer in the tomato mix.

To ensure non-mushy rice follow the three Rs - rinse, ratio, rest. Rinse the rice ahead of time with cold water. Repeat until water runs clear vs. the chalky white. Rinsing removes much of the starchiness

Use a 1:1 ratio water/liquid to rice to ensure proper evaporation. Note, a tight lid helps with evaporation as well

Let the rice Rest away from heat and uncovered so the condensation escapes.

If somehow your rice is still on the path to mushy world put the lid on and cook the rice on very low heat for another 5 minutes. If the rice is too wet, uncover the pot and cook over low heat to evaporate the water. Or spread the rice out onto a baking sheet and dry it in an oven-cooked on low.

Recipe variations include the use of meats or seafood, different vegetables (peas, carrots, red peppers are examples) and different types of spices. Jollof rice should be well seasoned coming from different sources.

For the party version which is somewhat smoky, allow the rice to burn a few minutes in the pan with the lid on. Though not exactly the same, this process is an alternative to the traditional way of cooking over a wood fire.

Nutrition

Calories: 420kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 682mg | Potassium: 1051mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 2415IU | Vitamin C: 56.9mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 4mg

Subscribe To My YouTube ChannelSubscribe To My YouTube Channel for full length recipe videos. Click the bell icon to be notified when I post new videos.

My YouTube Channel

Tried this Recipe? Tag it Today!Mention @foodfidelity or tag #foodfidelity!