Jul 23

Jul 23 Nigerian Fried Rice Recipe

Quarantine has given me the opportunity to learn how to make some of my favorite Nigerian dishes. I have finally perfected my Nigerian Fried Rice Recipe and I'm excited to share it with you. I love making fried rice because it's quick and easy to prepare. All you need is a few ingredients, boiled rice and you're done in 30 minutes! This dish is perfect for special occasions, or just to add variety to your weekly meal. Now I must warn you, fried rice spoils easily because of the veggies so don’t make more than you can eat in a week and make sure it is properly refrigerated. Let’s get started.

Ingredients

Parboiled Rice (4 cups)

Mixed Veggies (Corn, peas, carrots and green beans)

Meat of your choice (Traditionally Nigerian fried rice is made with shrimp or chopped liver)

3 Bell Peppers (Red, green, and yellow), chopped in squares

2 Habanero Peppers (Or 1 if you don’t like your food spicy)

Chopped Onions

Canola Oil (1 Cup)

Spices

5 Maggi Cubes

2 Knorr Cubes

Jamaican Curry Powder

Salt

Thime or Oregano

Parsley Flakes

Bay Leaves

Garlic Powder (optional)

Red Hot Pepper or Cayenne

Method

Step 1

Boil the rice separately in a rice cooker. Rinse the rice, then add water, like 2 m’s (lines in the rice cooker) above the rice. Don’t forget to add salt and taste, then cook. The key to making fried rice that is not soggy or sticky, is to cook the rice until it is edible but not fully cooked.

Step 2

Add 1 cup of canola oil to the pan, once the oil is warm, add the onions to get that sizzling sound and flavor. Let the onions fry for about 2 minutes, staring them around so they don’t burn. Then add the mixed veggies, chopped bell peppers, and habanero peppers. Let that fry for about 3 minutes, then add all the spices. Another key to making the perfect fried rice is to add a lot Jamaican curry powder. Let the veggies fry for 15 minutes but stir occasionally.

The veggie mix will taste salty of course, so do not add salt until you have added the rice. It’s better to under season than to over season food.

Step 3

Add your preferred meat and let that fry for 2 minutes. I prefer to cook the meat separately so that it doesn’t add extra water to the fried rice mix. You can cook the meat in the veggie mix if you want, but be careful that there isn’t unnecessary water.

Step 4

Add the parboiled rice and stir. This is the fun part, that requires a little strength, especially if you cook large portions of rice like I do. At this stage, you can add salt or an extra cube of seasoning if you desire. Let the rice soak up the seasoning for about 5 minutes, staring occasionally so it doesn’t burn. Then you’re all done! Enjoy.