5 Different Ways Nigerians Eat Their Rice
You may be thinking, “wow, Nigerians eat rice every day?”. We Nigerians are amazed that the Dutch eat bread twice a day. When you look at things from a new perspective, it’s clear that our differences often highlight our similarities.
When I first moved to the Netherlands, I was unable to find my favourite long-grain rice. But my Nigerian sisters who were living in the Netherlands knew how to help a sister out. They introduced me to a brand called President Rice—which happens to be parboiled basmati. – Excerpts from the Vibrant West African Cookbook
Rice, as we all know is a staple food in Africa. We, Nigerians, love our rice and whip up different varieties to create delicious and mouthwatering recipes that make use of this staple in a variety of ways. So today, I will talk about 5 different ways Nigerians eat rice.
Jollof Rice
As you all know, this is our eternal favourite, the national dish of Nigeria. Each home in Nigeria has a recipe for Jollof Rice, I have given you mine, have you managed to try it out at home? If not, check out the recipe here and also make use of my Jollof spice mix that will make the job very easy for you to recreate the magic and impress your family and friends.
Ofada Rice
By Itsmrchacha (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Ofada rice and stew is another common Nigerian way of eating rice. It is one of the spiciest (hottest) food we Nigerians make, so a warning to all those who are not used to eating high level of spice. We use habanero peppers in this dish and which explains the spiciness. However, you can reduce the number of peppers used to suit your palette. After Jollof Rice, this is a pretty popular dish that we make at home.
Fried Rice
This dish is pretty common all over the world. But the way we Nigerians make it is a lot different than what you may have come across. You can use my West African seasoning mix and add a zing to the fried rice dish.
Coconut Rice
Coconut and rice are 2 important staples in every West-African kitchen. The abundance of coconuts in this region makes it a part of most recipes – either in the form of coconut milk or grated coconut. Coconut milk imparts a fantastic flavour and fragrance to a dish and what better than eat rice and coconut together as coconut rice! In this recipe we use coconut milk along with chicken stock to cook the rice in and believe me, it surely is a heavenly experience. You can use some west african spices from my online store to add some twist to this dish.
Plain Rice and Stew
This is a boiled rice dish served with Beef or Chicken Stew. The preparation is very simple and straightforward. It is definitely a comfort food and also pretty nutritious. Why don’t you give it a try?
To purchase my special spice blends, you can visit my online store – Ataro Foods and Spices.
I have put together a lot of recipes in my recently released cookbook, you can purchase it in Kindle format or in paperback format – “Vibrant West African Cuisine” All proceeds from the sale of the book go towards a noble cause. Please support me and the cause.
