They say home is where the heart is and, well, while many of us are Tarheels Born, Bred, and Dead, UNC isn’t truly our home. For me, home is Charlotte, North Carolina, a short two and a half hour journey away. But for others, going home is much more complicated.
Let me introduce you to Derin, a freshman here at UNC. Derin is originally from Lagos, Nigeria, but she had been living in Pretoria, South Africa for the past 5 years when she decided to come to UNC as a Robertson Scholar. She’s also a member of the Voices of Praise gospel group. She enjoys baking, singing, crocheting, and trying new things. One thing she is passionate about is addressing malnutrition and expanding access to healthcare in underprivileged communities. Derin misses home terribly, but she’s making the most of her time here at UNC. She soon plans to make a batch of Jollof Rice to remind her of home, and by sharing the story of the dish with you all, I hope that you can get a taste of home to power you through until your next visit.
Jollof Rice has been made since the 14th century. It was originally named Wolof Rice, referring to the Wolof people of Senegal and Gambia. The dish has spread widely through West Africa, and each region has adapted it to its palette. Nigerian Jollof Rice may taste different from Ghanaian Jollof Rice or Malian Jollof Rice. There’s some lighthearted discourse over which culture makes it best. Additionally, Jollof Rice may taste differently depending on how it’s made. No, it’s not just your imagination; it’s down to the cooking methods. When Jollof Rice is made in massive amounts for parties, it’s cooked on charcoal with a gigantic metal pot, giving it a smokier flavor than when it’s cooked in a restaurant.
Back home for Derin, Jollof Rice is everywhere! There’s no party that won’t serve it, no restaurant that doesn’t have it. If there’s no Jollof Rice, there’s no fun! It’s not a very labor-intensive dish, so it’s easy to make and serve in large amounts. You can make it for a fancy gathering or a quick family dinner. You can eat Jollof Rice at birthday parties, after church services, at weddings, or even from the comfort of bed. Again, the keyword is everywhere. Derin sees Jollof Rice as being a unifying agent. Nigeria is a diverse nation. It contains many ethnic groups such as the Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, and more. Each group has a unique cultural identity, but Jollof Rice belongs to everyone. Each soulful spoonful of rice makes the differences seem minuscule. Each peppery bite solves conflict.
Before Derin left for college, she made it her goal to master making Jollof Rice the way her mom makes it. She’d sit and watch her mom cook, trying to commit each step to memory. Derin isn’t quite sure if she can call herself a Jollof Rice expert yet, but she feels that she’s almost there. It’s been a bit hard to gather the right ingredients, but once she makes Jollof Rice here, she believes that she’ll have accomplished her mission. If you can make Jollof Rice taste good in a dorm kitchen, you can make it taste good anywhere!
When Derin finally gets to eat some Jollof Rice, she says that the first bite will remind her of home. She can envision it perfectly. The kitchen is spic and span. She’s standing by the sink, helping her mother clean up as she goes along. Derin can hear her sister chopping up the onions and peppers to get them ready to blend. There’s music playing in the background, probably gospel. Or maybe they’re watching a comedy show. Derin can start to smell the soft aroma of peppers, onions, and spices. A chicken might be roasting in the oven. The kitchen runs like a well-oiled machine. Everyone knows their place, and they’re all working together to achieve the ultimate goal: yummy Jollof Rice.
Derin won’t be returning home until Summer Break, so it’ll be a long time until she gets to taste her mother’s Jollof Rice again. But as long as she cherishes these memories in her heart, she’ll never be far from home.
Jollof Rice Recipe
(courtesy of Delish.com)
- Cooking spray
- 3 medium tomatoes
- 1 Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper
- 1 medium onion, ½ coarsely chopped, ½ sliced
- 3 red bell peppers, cored and roughly chopped
- 1 cup of chicken stock or water
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp sweet and smoky paprika
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups of long-grain rice, rinsed and strained until the water runs clear
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Step 1
Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 13″ x 9″ baking dish with cooking spray.
Step 2
In a blender, combine tomatoes, Scotch bonnet pepper, chopped onions, and bell peppers. Blend until smooth.
Step 3
In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat, and add the sliced onions. Season with salt, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add bay leaves, curry powder, paprika, dried thyme, ginger, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Cook over medium heat for about 1 minute to let the spices bloom. Add tomato paste, and stir for another 2 minutes.
Step 4
Add tomato-pepper-Scotch bonnet mixture, stir, and cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, or until mixture is reduced by half.
Step 5
Add 1 c. stock to the mixture and bring to a boil, 1 to 2 minutes.
Step 6
Stir in rice and butter. Season with salt to taste.
Step 7
Transfer mixture to the greased baking dish. (Be careful, it will be hot!)
Step 8
Cover the baking dish tightly with foil, and bake until rice is tender, about 40 to 50 minutes. Check rice after about 30 minutes, and add water or stock if it looks dry or the rice is still hard. Fluff with a fork before serving.
