Mystery Lovers' Kitchen: Stella Oni

Sunday, October 10, 2021

Jollof Rice from Guest Author Stella Oni, With Links to a Rafflecopter Contest:

I’m delighted to introduce today’s guest author, British Nigerian Stella Oni.

Stella’s provided us with a recipe for Jollof rice that I can’t wait to try. And, to make it even better, Jollof rice features in her short story in the holiday cooking anthology Festive Mayhem 2.

Jollof Rice:

Jollof rice is a popular dish that has its origin in the Wolof or Jolof empire of West Africa in the 14th Century. This includes present-day Senegal and The Gambia. There are claims to who cooks it best from various parts of West Africa, including Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone as it is a staple in a lot of African homes and almost a must in celebrations. There is a playful dispute between Ghana and Nigeria about which country’s jollof rice is best.

I refuse to be drawn in, but I have eaten the dish from Ghana, and it is tasty. I struggled for years to prepare a delicious jollof rice, especially with a million ways of doing it out on the web. I finally hit the right note and have not deviated from it. Here I am happily sharing my process.

Ingredients:

(Reduce all this in proportion to the amount you want to cook)

1 large diced red onion

4 ounces of tomato puree

½ cup vegetable oil

2 cups of chicken or meat stock

4-6 Tbsp butter

1 tin of plum tomatoes or 3 medium fresh tomatoes

6 long sweet red pepper

4 red bell peppers

4 large onions

3 scotch bonnets (very hot so optional)

4 Tbsp curry powder

4 Tbsp dried thyme

10 dried bay leaves

8 chicken stock cubes

A pinch of salt (add salt according to your taste)

6 cups of long grained rice

Directions:

COOKING TIME: 1 hr 30 mins approx.

From left to right: Diced onions, butter, chicken stock, long red pepper, vegetable oil(any), tomato paste(puree), onions, tin of plum tomato, chicken stock cubes, curry powder, thyme, rice, bell peppers, scotch bonnet peppers, bay leaf, salt.

Heat oil for about 2 mins in a frying pan, then add the diced onions.

Let it brown and add tomato puree, curry powder, dried thyme, bay leaves, and stock cubes and let it fry for another 10 mins (add in the quantity of spices to your taste), then set to one side.

Blend the tinned or fresh tomato, peppers, and large onions till smooth. Pour into a large pot and add the chicken or meat stock. Add salt to taste.

Add in the fried puree and onions and let the mixture simmer for about an hour or till the mixture looks fried (the idea is to have a dried, fried tasty stew mixture).

Rinse the rice and add it to the mixture.

You can cover with tin foil for extra steaming. Leave it on low fire for about 20 to 30 mins and keep using a spoon to check the bottom to ensure it does not burn.

If the rice does not taste cooked then create a space at the bottom and add a tablespoon of butter and continue to steam. Do this till the rice is fully cooked.

Once the rice is cooked, then stir the mixture well.

Stella’s debut novel was Deadly Sacrifice, a police procedural published by Jacaranda Books in September 2020. She is a cake enthusiast who decorates exquisite cakes and an avid foodie who writes about Food, Culture and Tech on her blog AfricanBritishness and Medium. Stella is writing The Mews Guest House, Knightsbridge, the first of a new mystery in The London House Mystery Series. The lead character is the nosy housekeeper of a luxury guest house, Elizabeth Ojo, who gets embroiled in the troubles of her wealthy guests.

Stella’s short story The Jollof rice and Crayfish Mystery appears in Festive Mayhem 2. Seven crime writers of color have teamed up for the second year running to offer you the gift of escape this holiday season. From Thanksgiving to Christmas, Halloween to New Year's, cozy mystery fans are bound to find a favorite holiday represented in this limited-time collection of exclusive, never-before-published seasonal short stories.

Bonus recipes are included for each story!

This anthology is only available for a short time, so grab it now before it's gone. It would be criminal to miss it! Buy your copy HERE