Jollof Rice and HANAK Stew (Nigerian Stew)

Jollof rice is one of the most adored dishes to come out of Nigeria in all of history. The spices, the richness, and the rounded spice are perfect for any occasion, from comfort food to trying to impress.

What is Jollof Rice?

Jollof rice is, at the heart of it all, a simple rice dish. The rice is stewed in a spiced, flavorful tomato blend, which allows it to take on wonderful flavors and delightful aromas. The open secret of jollof rice is Nigerian-style spice blend that include curry powder and dried thyme. This blend of seasonings leads to an indescribably wonderful taste.

Jollof rice is such a culinary staple that even though people might consider rice a side dish - it is always the main in Nigeria!

Sitting down with a bowl of Jollof rice (and knowing that there’s a second helping in the pot in your kitchen) is one of the best food experiences out there. It’s almost spiritual, feeling the joy that comes with a wonderful meal like this.

Using our HANAK stew to make Jollof rice

While we (and a huge number of people around the world) absolutely adore jollof rice, people generally accept that there’s a lot of work going into the dish.

I remember the common practice of making bulk stew every weekend and freezing batches to save time when making a meal, only to forget to thaw some when needed and opting to defrost huge bowls in the microwave with growling stomachs all around me. If you (like us) feel like that might be too much work after a really long day, then you can use our HANAK Nigerian stew!

To feed a party of 4-6, start by adding a jar to a pot or sauce pan, You can preceed this with sauteeing some garlic and ginger, add roughly 2 cups of rice and mix the raw rice in, and add a 1/2 a liter of water or stock. Allow the pot to simmer for thirty minutes, with a tight lid on! (stir after 15 minutes to redistribute the rice) best practice is to cover with a foil to keep steam in all through the cooking.

 

Leaving it alone is the best way to get perfectly soft, fluffy rice every time.After the rice is tender, give the pot a stir and taste the rice - see if it might need anything like salt.

Add a little bit of butter, onions or any garnish you like, stir, and then turn the heat off. Let rest a bit and serve.

About the Types of Rice and Stock

We do have two things that we’d recommend you make sure to bear in mind: the rice you’re using, and the stock you’re using.

When picking out rice to use for this dish, you need to make sure you’re using rice that will soak up the juices in the pan really well. Traditionally, we use long grain or parboiled rice,example, UNCLE BEN'S Converted Rice - 80 oz as they are big enough to easily absorb flavors. If you’re in a pinch, you could use basmati. If you do that, remember to soak for 20 min before adding the rice.

The stock that you’re using here is really up to you. We’d recommend basing the stock on whatever you might be serving the rice with. For example, if you’re serving this rice with chicken, use chicken stock so that everything on the plate has a greater sense of continuity.

We encourage people to use HANAK stew because we put a lot of love and care into every one of our jars. It is made from completely natural products, and no preservatives, sugars, dairy or meats are added either. When you’re cooking, you can make a pure vegetarian bowl first, then garnish with choice of protiens after. We make sure to let good quality ingredients speak for themselves.

Furthermore, HANAK stew is wonderfully versatile. It tastes incredible when paired with any number of other foods from your kitchen - whether you’re cooking beef, pork, chicken, or even fish, you can rely on the flavors in our stew. We’ve made sure that our unique spice blend is ideal for pairing with any dish to get the best flavor.

If, like us, you’ve got a hankering for jollof rice tonight, then make sure to cook up a treat for you and your family! You can find our stew in a number of amazing locations, and you’ll be one step closer to a culinary journey!