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–+ servings
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Course Main Course
Cuisine Senegalese
Keyword jollof rice, plant based african food, theiboudienne
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings 6 people

Ingredients

Nokoss

  • 6 cloves of garlic
  • 1/2 green bell pepper
  • 1 small bunch of parsley enough to fit 1.5 cups packed
  • 1/2 onion
  • 1 thumb-size of ginger
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp ground pepper
  • 1 vegetable bouillon cube I used the Go Bio Mushroom Bouillon
  • 1 tbsp oil

Stew for the Rice

  • 1/2 cup oil I used avocado oil
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 1 tbsp miso paste or soy sauce
  • 1 tsp soumbala
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1/3 cup tomato paste
  • 3 medium tomatoes
  • 1-2 scotch bonnet pepper i like mine spicy but feel free to omit
  • 1/4 cup nokoss from above
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp all purpose seasoning of choice
  • 1 bouillon cube I use better than bouillon
  • 2 1/4 cups of water
  • 2 1/2 cups of broken rice I used West African white rice but you can use broken jasmine. Check FAQ for alternatives.

In case the stew is bitter/sour

  • 1/8 tsp baking soda or
  • 1/2 tsp sugar

Vegetables (choose 3 veggies and 1 root vegetable)

  • 5-6 king oyster mushrooms (cut in half)
  • 1 medium sized eggplant
  • a quarter of a cabbage
  • 5 okra
  • 1/2 large sweet potato 1 small sweet potato works
  • 1/2 large cassava freeze the other half for banku or fufu

Instructions

Nokoss

  • Mix the spice blend with the rest of the nokoss ingredients and blend in a food processor or blender. For a smoother texture without added water, place onions at the bottom of the blender or closer to the blade
  • Save 1/2 cup of the nokoss for the jollof rice and freeze the rest for later.
  • Mix the soft vegetables (not the root vegetables) with 2-3 tablespoons of the nokoss to marinate. Set aside.

Stew and Rice

  • Start by heating the oil at medium heat and sautéing the onions till soft
  • Add the soumbala and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the miso or soy sauce.
  • Add the tomato paste and cook at medium-low for 5-10 minutes.
  • Blend the tomatoes with the scotch bonnet pepper and garlic, then add to the tomato paste. Bring to a boil
  • Add the nokoss, spices, and bouillon paste, and cook at medium-low heat for 15 minutes.
  • While the stew is cooking, sear the marinated vegetables (not the root vegetables) in a hot pan with oil. The goal is just develop colour and char, but not to fully cook the vegetables. This should take about 15 minutes, about the same time the stew would have been cooking for.
  • If the stew is too sour, add 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda to neutralize the acid or 1/2 teaspoon of sugar.
  • Add 2 cups of water to the stew and add the vegetables. Boil for about 10 -15 minutes. The softer vegetables, like eggplants, peppers, okra, and mushrooms, will need about 10 minutes, whereas the root vegetables (sweet potato or cassava) will need 15 minutes.
  • Wash and add the rice. Add an extra 1/4 cup of water. Cover the pot well. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the rice for 40 minutes, mixing halfway. The rice might take longer. It is all about patience.
  • Serve it all together on a plate. Place the rice at the bottom first, then layer the veggies on top.
  • Serve with Nokoss tofu for some plant-based protein.