FOOD OF THE DAY:Nigerian Fried Rice

Nigerian Fried Rice

      Nigerian Fried Rice is one of the most popular rice recipes in Nigeria. It has become a big party favorite and one of the most sought after delicacies in any festive gathering. 

    Unlike other Nigerian rice recipes, the Fried Rice is prepared by stir frying seasoned precooked  rice with a mixture of vegetables and cooked proteins(meat/chicken or prawns). 

    I love Nigerian fried Rice and know you would too☺ 

 

Nigerian Fried Rice Ingredients:
 

•500g long grain white Rice
•500ml Chicken or Turkey stock/broth
•100g Cow Liver (use beef as a substitute)
•2 large Carrots
•1 handful Green Peas or Runner Beans
•1 large Green bell pepper
•1 Onion bulb
• 2-3 tablespoonful Curry Powder
•1 teaspoonful Garlic Powder
•½ tablespoonful Black or white pepper (optional)
•2- 3 Cooking spoonful Vegetable Oil
•2 stock cube or bouillon cube for Seasoning
•Salt (to taste)
For serving the Fried Rice: 
•500g Chicken/Turkey thighs or drumsticks
• 1 teaspoon thyme(for cooking the chicken)
• 1 teaspoon curry (for cooking the chicken)
• 1 stock cube (for cooking the chicken)
• A few onion slices  (for cooking the chicken)
 
Cooking Directions
 1. If you don't have stock,you can easily prepare a tasty stock by cooking the Chicken;
     Simply, Place the Chicken in a pot, add 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon curry, 1 stock cube and onion slices; 
     Add a little water and cook the chicken for 10 minutes. Then add more water and cook until done.
    The liquid left after cooking the chicken,is your stock. Pour the  stock into a Strainer to remove tiny chicken bones and any other particles in it; then set the stock aside for later use.

    You can now go ahead and fry or grill the chicken. 

2. Wash and place the cow liver in a pot, add seasoning cube and salt to taste; Cook the liver for 10minutes, then when cooled,cut into cubes and set aside. 
 Liver can also be fried , before cutting into cubes.
Tip: If you can't stand liver, you can use fried beef , chicken or shrimps as a substitute.

3.  Parboil the Rice using this method; then place in a sieve to drain out excess water.
Tip: Parboiling helps to reduce the starchy content of the rice which makes the grains to clump together when cooking. 


The next step is to prepare the Vegetables 
 4a. Wash all the vegetables.  
      Dice the onion & set aside ; 
b.  Peel the carrots & cut into small cubes. 
c.  Remove the seeds of the green bell peppers & cut into small cubes.

Tip: Although fresh veggies are the best for Nigerian fried rice, frozen vegetables can also be used(after thawing).

d. Place the carrots & green peas in boiling water for 5 minutes, strain out and place in a bowl of cold water, leave to cool in the water, then pour into a sieve and set aside.

Tip: this method is called blanching. It helps to par-boil the vegetables without cooking it through, thereby cutting down the stir-frying process. It also helps to preserve the vibrant color of the vegetables.

4a . Place the reserved chicken stock into a large pot and bring to a boil. The stock should be at almost the same level as the rice, so that it dries up completely when the rice is done.
  You can add some water if the stock won't be enough to cook the Rice.

b. As the stock begins to boil, add the parboiled rice, seasoning cubes(stock cubes), curry powder, garlic powder, onions and salt to taste. Leave to cook on medium heat until it's done.
  TIP; The cooked rice should not be soggy or too tender and the grains shouldn't stick together either. 
 You can Pour out the cooked rice into a wider pot and set aside.

5. Heat up the vegetable oil; add the carrots, peas, green bell pepper and diced liver/meat; then add a little white/black pepper, a garlic, curry &seasoning cube to taste..  stir fry for 1 min and pour into a bowl. 

     The Rice is going to be fried in small batches, so you'll have to divide the stir-fried vegetables into equal portions. The size of your frying pan/wok will determine how many portions you will have.
6. Pour a portion of the stir-fried mix into the frying pan; add the cooked rice and stir-fry for about 2 minutes. 

Tip: Do not overcrowd the pan,make sure there is a little space in the pan so that you can move the rice around the pan for even distribution of heat.      
   Repeat this process for the remaining rice and veggie mix. 
  
 Now your Nigerian Fried Rice is Ready to be served with Moi- moi ,Fried plantains, Fried or grilled turkey/ fish/beef/Chicken or any meat of your choice. ENJOY!