Because everyday is World Jollof Rice Day. And so I present you one of two recipes – Asun Jollof- I concocted during the run-up to August 22nd – the other? A smoky prawn version. Step 1 Get goat meat and season it with salt, ground onions and chilies. Step 2 Coal-smoke for the most intense, smoky flavour. {How to cold smoke} Step 3 Prepare: Cook meat in water, with seasoning – don’t worry, the smoky flavour will not go away. Promise. Chili paste – corasely grind onions and chilies without water Chop up some green bell pepper ‘Stew’ – blend a mix...
Happy ‘National Waffle Day’
…and yes, I’m celebrating the awesomeness of my waffle iron because I’m a global citizen, of America, of Nigeria, of The Netherlands, of The World who will waffle everything possible from bread to waffle batter, cake and croissants. The ancient Greeks are said to have been the first waffle bakers — they cooked flat cakes between two metal plates held over burning embers; Source In the last few weeks and months, I’ve waffle’d cake, croissants and a host of other things. All of them have been soooooooooo awesome. And so it is, in honour of National Waffle Day, I’m sharing...
In Season via Road Trips
Road trips. Just like our mothers. Just like our fathers. I can’t count how many times I’ve been on the receiving end of a parent’s travels. How we’ve heard honking horns and have welcomed them back with some measure of joy, thanking them ever so kindly for not ruining Saturday night fever by returning halfway through the weekend and grateful that Sunday has seen them return and none too early. I’ve lugged bunches of plantains, yams, pineapple and bags of oranges, snails, corn and whatever else was plentiful on expressways from boots and trunks in such quantities, you marveled. If you...
The Sacred (Food) Hollows of Olumo Rock
I have a friend who is obsessed with pounded yam. A few days ago, we were talking about plans and dreams and hopes, about the evolution of kitchen utensils as we know it, the hows and whys. He wanted to know how pounded yam became a thing, and then we moved on to mortars and pestles. It reminded me of the grinding and pounding hollows I’d seen at Olumo Rock the previous week which fascinated me. I thought these hollows, these sacred hollows were the precursors for the wooden bowl and stick we now call mortar and pestle and that’s...
Six Perfect Drinks for Jollof
I’d never really given much thought to the perfect drinks for Jollof till #Jollofgate, when I spied a bottle of ale next to Jamie’s offering. Now, I know Jonny Garrett, the deputy editor of Jamieoliver.com who worked with him on thefeature is a beer aficionado who loves pairings… (he’s @beerchannel on Twitter) To be honest, food and drink pairings aren’t something we do a lot with Nigerian food, but we should because what we drink can enhance (or not) the experience of the flavours. In this regard, one seeks for answers to the question ‘Drink pairings for spicy food’. In my opinion, spice isn’t...
Five Approved (Somewhat Essential) Sides for Jollof Rice
Thanks Nigerian Twitterverse for the contributions. Here is what we have – 5 approved sides for Jollof Rice: Meat, Dodo, Coleslaw, Moinmoin and Eggs. Per plate? Two or more of these seem like the right amount. For example – dodo and meat; meat and moinmoin; dodo and eggs. Get the drift? Minimum allowable accompaniments if ground level na two. Worst case sha, one go do. Banana, coleslaw, dodo and any peppered meat cut in teeny pieces and stewed. https://t.co/r5qbwkIHPT — Ada Akunne (@SheisBoki) August 20, 2015 And what/where to eat from :). A plate and a fork. #PureJollof Other accompaniments...
Banga Jollof
This is one of the few times I make Jollof rice without first cooking the rice. The first thing I do is call my mother who instructs me accordingly. Rice. Banga cream and no spices. If at all, a mere pinch. I begin by washing the rice in water till clear. In a large pot, combine your Banga cream with an equal amount of water then bring to boil. Season with salt, pepper, dried crayfish and lemongrass if you like. After a few minutes, add your chicken, beef, meat to the pot. I like mine to cook together, as though...
August 22nd – In Preparation for World Jollof Rice Day
Here’s everything you need to get ready for World Jollof Rice Day – lessons on history, culture, controversies, essentials and more. Mark the date – August 22nd, use the #WorldJollofRiceDay. To begin, I recommend you listen to WizKid’s Ojuelegba. Just because it is my current favourite song and because…yeah, I say so. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/168209671″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /] And then, if you are really interested in becoming an authority on Jollof, complete the following entry-level courses: Jollof History 101 Cultural Significance of Jollof #Jollofgate: The greatest food’gate controversy Not quite controversial – The best Ghanian Jollof The Bare Essentials Around The...
Nigeria Corn Pancakes with Ube
This is what you make when you have left over corn mix from making Sapala – you shallow-fry small pancakes because you’re too lazy to deep-fry. It is better for your health so you proceed. You serve it with steamed ube filled with Chili Beer sauce. Yes, I made boats of the ube by splitting them in half, perfecting them for stuffing. The key here is not to overcook them which is why I prefer steaming to boiling in water so you reduce the chances of overcooking them till the skins split. So yes, that demands vigilance as they cook or steam in...