Sierra Leonean · main

Sierra Leonean Jollof Rice

Sierra Leonean Jollof Rice reads umami 6.7, richness 4.3 and salinity 4.2 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Sierra Leonean main, about 1 hr 55 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 7.1 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 4.6 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 2.4 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.8 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 4.4 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.5 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.7 · Richness 4.3 · Salinity 4.2 · Sweetness 3.9 · Allium 3.9 · Heat 3.5 · Warm Spice 2.2 · Fruity 2.2 · Sourness 2.2 · Earthy 1.6 · Herbaceous 1.5 · Bitterness 1.0 · Floral 0.9 · Citrus 0.8

What's in it (17)

• long-grain white rice — 600 g
• chicken — 800 g
• tomato paste — 180 g
• tomatoes — 400 g
• onions — 350 g
• vegetable oil — 110 g
• scotch bonnet chillies — 200 g
• garlic — 12 g
• fresh ginger — 20 g
• red pepper — 150 g
• curry powder — 15 g
• thyme — 1 g
• bay leaf — 1 g
• chicken stock — 900 g
• green beans — 150 g
• carrots — 150 g
• salt — 10 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 55 min (1 hr 45 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 129.7 kcal, 5.6 g protein, 4.9 g fat, 16 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (12 steps)

1. Season the chicken with half the salt and half the curry powder and leave 15 minutes. The curry powder and thyme are Krio kitchen habits and they are one of the things that make this taste unlike Ghanaian or Nigerian jollof.
2. Brown the chicken in the vegetable oil over medium-high heat, 10 minutes, and set it aside. No palm oil goes into Sierra Leonean jollof; that is the clearest line between this dish and its neighbours.
3. Add the sliced onion to the pot and cook 8 minutes until soft.
4. Add the tomato paste and fry it over medium heat 10 to 12 minutes, stirring constantly. This is a tomato-paste-forward jollof rather than a fresh-pepper-forward one, and the paste needs a long, patient fry to lose its metallic edge.
5. Blend the blended onion, the fresh tomatoes, the scotch bonnets, garlic, ginger and red pepper smooth, about 2 minutes.
6. Pour the blend into the pot and cook 18 minutes, until it darkens and the oil separates.
7. Stir in the thyme, the bay leaves, the remaining curry powder and the remaining salt.
8. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear and drain it 3 minutes.
9. Stir the rice through the sauce for 2 minutes so every grain is coated.
10. Return the chicken, add the hot stock, cover tightly and cook on low heat 25 to 30 minutes.
11. Scatter the diced green beans and carrots over the surface, cover again and cook 8 minutes so they steam on top of the rice rather than turning to mush in the sauce.
12. Rest off the heat 10 minutes, then fold everything together and serve.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Classic Beef Chili with Kidney Beans — American
• Jollof Rice — Nigerian
• Sopa a la Minuta — Peruvian
• Chili Mac Skillet with Melted Cheddar — American
• Curried Ground Beef with Peas — Indian

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.