Nigerian rice and beans Jollof is basically a combination of rice and beans cooked in a tomato stew. It is nutritionally richer than plain jollof rice because of the addition of beans. Making it is not as straight forward as making Nigerian jollof rice which is a one-pot dish also, rice and beans Jollof is not as popular.
Rice and beans dishes are common and can be found in many countries around the world e.g. Ghanaian Waakye, Caribbean rice and peas, Puerto Rican Arroz Junto.
Growing up, I honestly didn’t like Nigerian rice and beans Jollof which I suppose stemmed from my dislike for beans at the time but I do actually enjoy eating it now. So, as I said before, it is a bit tricky to make, the end product can get very soggy. The rice might be hard while the beans are all mushy or rice might be mushy when beans haven’t cooked through.
Ultimately, the end product depends on your taste. Some people prefer the beans almost broken down while others want the beans whole. I prefer the rice soft and the beans very soft. It is easier to eat and the flavours and texture meld well.
You can use most types of beans to cook Nigerian rice and beans Jollof, black-eyed peas (white beans), brown beans, honey beans etc.
The proportion of rice to beans is also a matter of choice. I use two portions of rice to one portion of beans (e.g. 2 cups rice, one cup beans). You can do 3 cups rice to 2 cups beans (1.5 cups rice to 1 cup beans). If you’ll prefer even less beans do 3:1. The pressure pot is a treasure if you cook beans very often.
How to prepare Nigerian rice and beans Jollof
Meat 2 cups rice 1 cup beans 350g onions 250g tomatoes 70g tatashe (Paprika pepper) 100g shombo (cayenne pepper) scotch bonnet (fresh pepper) 1/2 small onions, sliced 1 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup tomato paste 4 seasoning cubes salt 2 tablespoons ground dry crayfish
Wash meat, place in a pot and season with salt, seasoning cubes and sliced onions. When soft, fry or grill.
While the meat is cooking, wash beans, place in a pot, add enough water to cover the beans up to 2 inches. Set over medium-high heat.
Boil beans until soft, (Beans should still be whole but crushes when pressed). Drain and set aside both the beans and the liquid.
Wash rice, place in a pot, add enough water to cover the rice.
Boil rice until about halfway cooked. Drain into a sieve, rinse in cold water and set aside.
While rice and beans are cooking, grind onions, tomato, tatashe, shombo and scotch bonnet together.
Pour vegetable oil into a clean dry pot over medium heat.
When hot, fry the cooked meat. Drain in a plate.
Add sliced onions to the oil, fry until soft.
Add tomato paste, mix and fry for one minutes.
Pour in the pureed tomato, stir and fry until dry (oil is floating on top).
Crush and add seasoning cubes and crayfish.
Add some meat and beans stock, enough to be at the same level as the rice and beans when added.
Stir, taste and add salt.
Cover and bring to a boil then stir in the rice and beans (The stock should be about the same level as the rice and beans, you can always add more as it drys).
Cover tightly and cook until very little water is remaining, stir and reduce heat to very low.
Cook until water has been absorbed.
Leave partially opened to dry out for about 5 minutes.
Stir and serve.
Serve with a side of fried plantains, steamed green (amaranth) or Smoked fish with green (amaranth) vegetable etc.
Notes
- You can replace vegetable oil with palm oil.
Nigerian rice and beans Jollof
Nigerian rice and beans Jollof is a combination of rice and beans cooked in a tomato stew.Ingredients
- Meat
- 2 cups rice
- 1 cup beans
- 350 g onions
- 250 g tomatoes
- 70 g tatashe (Paprika pepper)
- 100 g shombo (cayenne pepper)
- scotch bonnet (fresh pepper)
- ½ small onions sliced
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 4 seasoning cubes
- salt
- 2 tablespoons ground dry crayfish
Instructions
- Wash meat, place in a pot and season with salt, seasoning cubes and sliced onions. Cook until tender.
- While the meat is cooking, wash beans, place in a pot, add enough water to cover the beans up to 2 inches. Set over medium-high heat.
- Boil beans until soft, (Beans should still be whole but crushes when pressed). Drain and set aside both the beans and the liquid.
- Wash rice, place in a pot, add enough water to cover the rice.
- Boil rice until about halfway cooked. Drain into a sieve, rinse in cold water and set aside.
- While rice and beans are cooking, grind onions, tomato, tatashe, shombo and scotch bonnet together.
- Pour vegetable oil into a clean dry pot over medium heat.
- When hot, fry the cooked meat. Drain in a plate.
- Add sliced onions to the oil, fry until soft.
- Add tomato paste, mix and fry for one minutes.
- Pour in the pureed tomato, stir and fry until dry (oil is floating on top).
- Crush and add seasoning cubes and crayfish.
- Add some meat and beans stock, enough to be at the same level as the rice and beans when added. Stir, taste and add salt.
- Cover and bring to a boil then stir in the rice and beans (The stock should be about the same level as the rice and beans, you can always add more as it drys).
- Cover tightly and cook until very little water is remaining, stir and reduce heat to very low.
- Cook until water has been absorbed.
- Leave partially opened to dry out for about 5 minutes.
- Stir and serve.
Notes
- Serve with a side of fried plantains, steamed green (amaranth) or Smoked fish with green (amaranth) vegetable etc.
- You can replace vegetable oil with palm oil.
If you enjoyed my Nigerian Rice and Beans Jollof, you will also enjoy my Banga Jollof Rice, Nigerian Coconut Jollof Rice, Nigerian Palm oil Jollof and Nigerian Jollof Rice.
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Thanks a lot,have been cooking both together in one pot and didn’t get the desired results but your method was wow!
Thanks once again.
I’m so glad it turned out right this time.