In Celebration of Black History Month

Hello again! If you’re anything like me, you’re always looking for meals that are easy on the budget but still taste amazing. I will share a simple and budget-friendly Jollof Rice with chicken recipe, a popular West African dish. Not only is it rich in flavour, but it’s also easy to make. You should be able to get all the ingredients in your local grocery store. Plus, it’s a one-pot recipe that will save you on washing dishes.

My version is modified to be student-friendly, so you don’t need any fancy equipment or hard to find ingredients. With that said, let’s dive into it!

Ingredients (about 4-5 servings):

• 2 cups long-grain rice 
• 500g chicken thighs or drumsticks 
• 1 can of chopped tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 chopped bell peppers
• 1 scotch bonnet chilli for you spicy lovers
• 2-3 cloves garlic - minced
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons of oil
• 4 cups of chicken stock (I personally use bouillon cubes, but up to you)
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Step 1

Season your chicken with salt pepper (follow your heart and eye ball it), and half of the curry powder. You can also sprinkle some paprika or thyme on it.

Heat the oil in a large pot and set it on medium-high heat. Add your seasoned chicken and cook until all sides are browned (should be around 5-7 minutes but every hob differs right). We’re not cooking it through yet, so set it aside once it has a nice golden colour.

Step 2

Using the same pot (don’t clean it), lower the heat to medium. Toss in your chopped onion, bell peppers, and minced garlic. Cook for 4-5 minutes until softened. For my spicy lovers, this is when you add in the scotch bonnet pepper.

Step 3

In the pot, stir tomato paste and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the remaining curry powder, and smoked paprika. Stir a bit and pour in the canned tomatoes and mix everything together. Let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes, so it thickens.

Step 4

Once it has thickened a bit, add your (WASHED) rice. Then add 4 cups of chicken stock. 

Add the thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Stir well to make sure everything is evenly distributed.

Remember the browned chicken? Return it to the pot, nestling it into the rice.

Step 5

Cover the pot and bring it to a boil, after that lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Let it cook for about 30 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Stir occasionally.

Step 6

Once the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and leave the lid on for another 10 minutes. This will make the rice fluffy.

Serve your Jollof rice with the chicken on top and enjoy!

YUM YUM...

This dish is flavourful, filling, and easy to make. It definitely fits my budget and taste preferences, so I hope you like it too! Whether you’re cooking for yourself or friends, this dish is sure to impress anyone without costing a fortune. Plus, you get leftovers for days, so you’ll save on time too.

I hope you give it a try. Tag us on Instagram if you do, or if you would change anything about this recipe at @reslife_covuni :).