Photograph of this dish. Maame1Yaa · CC BY-SA 4.0.
Nigerian · Iconic · Nigeria
Tomato Jollof
Also called Jollof Rice
Rice cooked in a pepper-tomato sauce until the bottom threatens to catch.
Pai editors’ mark 5 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Jollof arguments are a cuisine of their own. This is a straightforward home pot: a blended tomato-pepper base, long-grain rice, and thyme. The smoky bottom, the party rice, is a bonus if you listen for it and do not burn it.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
78
Health score
Light & nourishing
Moderate
Richness
Light
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 8%
- Carbs 79%
- Fat 13%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Suits · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium stay modest, with some fiber.
Watch · Weight loss
Calories, protein, or richness make this a fuller plate than a light day wants.
Watch · High protein
Protein is about 6 g, under the 25 g mark.
Watch · Low sodium
About 622 mg of sodium, above the 450 mg mark.
Suits · Gluten-free
No wheat, barley, or rye in the required list. Still read labels on sauces and oats.
Suits · Dairy-free
No milk ingredients in the required list.
Suits · Vegan
No meat, fish, egg, dairy, honey, or gelatin in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Watch · Gentle when sick
The heat is more than a gentle bowl wants.
Watch · Kid-friendly
The heat is above a mild mark.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Dry jasmine rice219 kcal
- Neutral oil29 kcal
- Canned crushed tomato17 kcal
- Yellow onion10 kcal
- Red bell pepper9 kcal
- Tomato paste4 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 41.8. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving, as written, is about 299 kcal.
Allergens. None flagged in the required list.
Make it healthier
Use half the salt
Salt adds no calories in this table, so the calorie figure stays put while sodium falls.
About 299 kcal after the change.
Leave out the jalapeño.
A milder party rice. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Add cooked chicken or shrimp at the end.
The rice is already a meal. Protein is a choice, not a requirement. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 299 kcal | 15% |
| Protein | 6 g | 12% |
| Carbohydrate | 59.4 g | 22% |
| Fiber | 3.3 g | 12% |
| Total sugars | 6 g | 12% |
| Fat | 4.2 g | 5% |
| Saturated fat | 0.7 g | 3% |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 622 mg | 27% |
| Potassium | 400 mg | 9% |
| Calcium | 60 mg | 5% |
| Iron | 4.1 mg | 23% |
| Magnesium | 36 mg | 9% |
| Zinc | 1 mg | 9% |
| Vitamin A | 76 mcg | 8% |
| Vitamin C | 54.2 mg | 60% |
| Vitamin D | 0 mcg | 0% |
| Vitamin E · estimate | 1.6 mg | 11% |
| Vitamin K · estimate | 17 mcg | 14% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.4 mg | 36% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.1 mg | 8% |
| Niacin (B3) | 3.5 mg | 22% |
| Vitamin B6 · estimate | 0.3 mg | 16% |
| Folate · estimate | 166 mcg | 42% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 mcg | 0% |
Low-confidence marks sit on glycemic load or on vitamins the USDA row left blank. Those vitamins are filled from a food-group reference and labeled as estimates. Reported USDA values, including zeros, are kept. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- A serving stays under about 420 calories, so it can sit inside an ordinary day.
- Much of the energy comes from a fast starch such as white rice, white flour, or sugar.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Heavy pot
- Scale
- Wooden spoon
- Ladle
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Dry jasmine rice, rinsed2 cups360 g
Canned crushed tomato1.75 cups400 g
Tomato paste2 tbsp30 g
Red bell pepper, chopped2 peppers200 g
Yellow onion, half blended, half sliced1 onion150 g
Garlic2 cloves8 g
Fresh ginger1 tbsp8 g
Jalapeño1 pepper15 g
Neutral oil1.5 tbsp21.98 ml
Curry powder1 tsp3 g
Fresh thyme, leaves1 tsp2 g
Bay leaf1 leaf1 g
Kosher salt1 tsp4 g
Low-sodium vegetable broth1.75 cups420 ml
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Leave out the jalapeño.. A milder party rice.
- Add cooked chicken or shrimp at the end.. The rice is already a meal. Protein is a choice, not a requirement.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Blend tomato, tomato paste, peppers, half the onion, garlic, ginger, and jalapeño until smooth.
AI-generated photo.
2Fry the sliced onion in oil, then pour in the base, curry powder, thyme, bay, and salt. Cook until the sauce darkens and the raw taste leaves.
Reduce sauce 15 min
AI-generated photo.
3Stir in rice and broth. The liquid should just come level with the rice.
AI-generated photo.
4Cover and cook on low until the rice is tender. Do not stir more than once.
Cook rice 20 min
AI-generated photo.
5Rest, then fluff. Serve the carefully scraped golden bottom if you earned it.
How you know it is done
Tomato Jollof is done when the thickest piece is tender and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
If it goes wrong
- Tomato Jollof looks done on top and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue in the method, not the color alone. Give it a few more minutes and check the center.
- Tomato Jollof spread, sank, or turned out dry. Measure by weight next time, heat the oven fully, and stop when the doneness cue appears rather than when the timer ends.
Storage
Cool Tomato Jollof, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven, not a raw salad.
How this dish helps your daily life
- A celebration rice that feeds a group from one pot.
- The pepper-tomato base is a vegetable sauce, not just colored rice.
Notes
Pregnancy. Fully cooked and plant-based as written. Heat is adjustable. No alcohol.
From the kitchen. If you smell a sharp burn, stop and serve the top. The stuck layer is only a prize when it smells toasty.
Allergens in the required list: none flagged.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.