Bernard's Jollof Day recipe

English-language edition | October 2026 | bernard.ink

Bernard's Jollof Day recipe

Serves 8 | Adapted from the supplied publisher proof, selected by Bernard on 5 October 2026. Cooking is adult-led. This educator edition has not been independently kitchen-tested.

Ingredients for the gravy

  1. Oil: enough to fry the onions without sticking.
  2. 3 large red onions, diced; 3-4 large yellow onions, quartered.
  3. 2 star anise; 2 bay leaves.
  4. A finger-sized piece of ginger; 4-5 garlic cloves.
  5. 400 g tomato paste; 1.6 kg fresh or canned tomatoes.
  6. 1-2 Scotch bonnet peppers, optional and adjusted to taste. An adult handles them.
  7. 20-30 g chicken stock seasoning, or your preferred equivalent; check its label and allergens.
  8. 2 teaspoons salt, adjusted to taste; 1 teaspoon rosemary; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika.
  9. All-purpose seasoning, thyme and ground anise, each to taste.

This makes more gravy than the rice needs. Set aside 700 ml for this batch; cool and refrigerate the remaining gravy promptly.

Make the gravy

Adult cooking steps

  1. Heat oil in a large pot. Add the diced red onions, star anise and bay leaves; cook gently until the onions are translucent.
  2. Blend the yellow onions, ginger and garlic until smooth. Add to the pot, stirring regularly. Add more oil if needed.
  3. When the mixture darkens and separates, add the tomato paste. Stir over low heat.
  4. Blend the tomatoes and optional peppers. Add them once oil rises from the tomato mixture. Bring to a sputter, reduce the heat and partially cover.
  5. Stir about every 15 minutes while the sauce reduces by roughly a quarter. Add stock seasoning, salt, rosemary, paprika and all-purpose seasoning to taste.
  6. Once the sauce is rich and oil rises to the surface, add thyme and ground anise. Simmer for another 10-20 minutes.

Cooker, knives, blender, steam and hot pans are adult jobs. Children may count washed ingredients or describe pictures from a safe place.

Cook the Jollof rice

Ingredients for the rice

  1. 1160 g good-quality long-grain rice, using your preferred variety.
  2. 700 ml prepared gravy.
  3. 4 1/2 cups hot water, using one consistent cooking cup measure.
  4. Salt to taste. Optional diced carrots and cabbage.

Adult cooking steps

  1. Wash and rinse the rice. Bring the measured gravy to a boil.
  2. Add the rice and hot water. Adjust the tomato colour with additional gravy and season to taste.
  3. Add carrots and cabbage if desired. Cover with parchment and a well-fitting lid; keep parchment away from flames. Simmer over low heat.
  4. After 10-15 minutes, check whether the grains are soft. If still firm, sprinkle in a little hot water, turn the rice and cover for another 10-15 minutes. Repeat as needed: timing depends on the rice and pan.
  5. Serve promptly with sides of your choice. An adult checks temperature before children taste.

The proof's water line has conflicting metric and cup quantities. This edition keeps its 4 1/2 cups and omits the conflicting metric figure. Optional whole eggs are omitted from the classroom adaptation.

Teacher notes Cook, talk and share

Purpose and preparation

Optional family or supervised school cooking. Check all ingredients, stock and seasoning labels for allergies and follow the school's food-hygiene procedures. Cooking is not required to enjoy the reading activity.

Source and editorial choices

Based on the recipe in the supplied Jollof Day publisher proof. Bernard selected the proof rather than the earlier Google Doc. The serving count is its eight-serving label; actual portions vary. Avoid mixing its rice gram quantity with the proof's conflicting rice cup conversion.

Support and stretch

Children may count ingredients, describe a smell from a safe distance or retell the kitchen-to-table sequence. An alternative is picture discussion with no food preparation or tasting.

Safe storage

Serve promptly. Cool leftover rice quickly, ideally within one hour; refrigerate and use within 24 hours. Reheat only once, until steaming hot throughout. Do not leave gravy overnight at room temperature; cool and refrigerate it promptly.

Teaching links

Suggested KS1 spoken language: describe actions and give an ordered explanation. US SL.1.2 can support an adult-led discussion; the cooking task itself is not an accredited literacy lesson.

Sources and teaching references