Khadim Mbamba brought Senegal to London – here’s how to make his jollof rice

| Newsletter Producer and co-editor of The Slice Published October 17, 2026 10:00am Khadim Mbamba brought a taste of home to London (Picture: David Thompson) The theme of Black History Month this year is ‘Honouring our Communities’ and, as such, Metro is celebrating the Black people doing amazing things for food and culture in the capital. The Diaspora Dish, Metro’s newsletter focusing on African and Caribbean chefs from across the diaspora, is back for a second series. They will be sharing their signature recipes and the stories behind them. This week we’re in the kitchen with Khadim Mbamba. If you’ve never tried jollof rice, the famous red rice dish, you’re in the right place. It actually originated in Senegal, where Khadim is from and can be traced back to the Wolof people. Khadim got into cooking because he couldn’t find Senegalese food in London. ‘It always makes people laugh when I say I was tired of eating chicken and chips. I missed my mother’s food,’ he tells me. ‘Senegalese food wasn’t around in London at the time.’ When we met, he was still cooking at Little Baobab. Now, his focus is on pop-ups, catering and events while the restaurant looks for a new home. Senegalese-style jollof rice by Khadim Mbamba Senegal’s national dish is the Thieboudienne (also spelled Ceebu Jen), which means ‘rice and fish’ in Wolof, and it’s widely considered as the original jollof rice. This recipe is the base Little Baobab uses for its jollof rice. This is the famous rice dish you’ll find at most African parties (Picture: Supplied) Serves 3-4. Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. Preparation: one hour Ingredients 200g basmati rice 2 cloves garlic 1/2 green pepper 1 small onion 1 spring onion 1/2 fresh tomato (chopped) 1 tbsp tomato puree 1 scotch bonnet chilli 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper 3 tbsp vegetable oil Method Blend the green pepper, 1/2 onion, spring onion, scotch bonnet, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor (or chop very finely) to make a nokoss mix. In a medium pot, heat around 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil. When hot, fry half of a diced onion in oil. Once cooked, add one tablespoon of tomato puree and stir well. Add half of the nokoss mix you have made. Cook this, stirring constantly, until it is a dark red colour and the oil has risen (around 10 minutes). Add the diced tomato and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add around 300ml of water and bring to the boil. Add the remainder of your nokoss and leave this to cook on a low-medium heat for 15 minutes with the lid on. Prepare the rice by cleaning three times and draining it. Add the rice to the pot and stir well. Cover and cook on a low heat for around 20 minutes. Stir once, turning the rice, and let it cook for a further 5 minutes. Serve Deals of the Day See London's Christmas lights from an open-top double-decker bus this winter My skin always suffers when the heating goes on but this serum changed that The skincare formula that finally took the guesswork out of my routine Families can save up to 20% on summer 2027 holidays in Club Med's four-day sale Cold mornings are coming and this is the dressing gown I want to live in Try pairing the dish with some Senegalese chilli sauce (like the Little Baobab chilli sauce) on the side – it’s perfect for bringing the heat and complementing the flavours of the dish! Sign up to The Diaspora Dish Hi, I'm Lola Christina Alao, co-editor of The Slice newsletter. Are you a fan of African and Caribbean food? Sign up to Metro's tastiest new newsletter, The Diaspora Dish, where you can get your hands on signature recipes from the Black chefs shaping the London food scene. And series two is almost here... I edit Metro's lifestyle newsletters, and I'm always on the hunt for the hottest new food spot in London (Picture: Lola Christina Alao) With incredible dishes like Dominican souse, Senegalese jollof rice and Bajan fish cakes, it’s a celebration of culture, community, and flavour. Ready to join the family? Sign up here. Arrow MORE: Michelin star chef Aji Akokomi shows us how to make delicious Nigerian dish Arrow MORE: Chef Dixie Fingal-Rock Innes shares her ‘refreshing’ family recipe for Dominican shrimp souse The Diaspora Dish Join the family: The Diaspora Dish series two is here! New recipes and chef interviews with The Slice's co-editor Lola Christina Alao.