Nigerian fried rice and fried chicken are among the best dishes originating from West Africa. It is perfectly acceptable to call the fried rice recipe West African fried rice because across West Africa - Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Togo, Cotonou, etc. - we generally cook fried rice the same way. This is one dish my family enjoys; in other words, they are never EVER tired of eating fried rice.
Also, peppered chicken are basically fried or grilled chicken fried in very rich tomato stew. They are favorites at Nigerian parties and are absolutely delicious. They are very easy to make and ideal for entertaining guests these summer months.
For the folks at the back, this is one fried rice recipe you want in your arsenal; it is easy to cook, colorful, flavorful, and will leave you with an unforgettable experience!
THE PERFECT FRIED CHICKEN RECIPE FOR NIGERIAN STEW/ JOLLOF RICE OR FRIED RICE!
Nigerian Fried Rice Recipe
You can also call the fried rice dish vegetable fried rice because it uses tons of veggies, and you can easily make this fried rice recipe vegan by swapping only one ingredient (yes, it is that easy). There are many versions of this dish - the most important thing is to learn the basics and then make it your way when you desire - shrimp fried rice, chicken fried rice, assorted meat fried rice, etc.
I love simplicity, and in line with that, I also made this recipe healthier. If you are interested in learning my tricks to making the best healthish Nigerian fried rice each time, please keep reading or scroll down to the recipe card. As you may already see, I served this dish with oven-baked chicken thighs; you can use any protein of choice.
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Traditional Nigerian fried rice recipe is not vegan because it usually uses chicken broth, and most of them also use fried liver. But it is very easy to make this recipe vegan by simply using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and not adding or serving this recipe with any meat - effortless, you may say!
Okay, friends, the essential ingredient in making Nigerian fried rice is love, yes, you heard me. But I mean, not literally. The truth, though, is that when you cook with love, your food tastes better.
In actuality, the main ingredients of any Nigerian fried rice recipe include rice (well obviously), onions, garlic, bell peppers, curry, turmeric, broth, and mixed vegetables (consisting of carrots and peas, green beans, corn), etc. For today’s recipe, my mixed vegetables are frozen. In other words, you can use either frozen mixed vegetables or fresh mixed vegetables - both works just fine.
The procedure for making the best Nigerian vegetable fried rice is actually simpler than you think. It has a two-step process. First, cook the rice in a well-seasoned broth. Second, fry the rice in sautéed vegetables.
YES! This fried rice recipe is irresistible, friends, truly the best - can’t wait for you to make it. I served this dish with baked chicken thighs but can use any other protein. Yes, yes, and yes!!
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You can easily make fried rice with leftover rice; you do not have to cook “new” rice from scratch each time you desire to make fried rice. Fortunately, you can make fried rice without frying. To make fried rice without frying, you will need to, first, parboil the rice, second, sauté onions/garlic, add broth, then add rice and cook until soft, and finally, add the vegetables, all in one pot.
Usually, Asian fried rice is cooked using the Woks; we cook Nigerian fried rice using pans and pots. I never saw my mother use a wok either! Also, soy sauce is paramount when cooking Asian fried rice, unlike the Nigerian fried rice recipe, which does not call for soy. Our fried (Nigerian/African fried rice) flavors and colors are mainly from curry, turmeric, and broth/stock. Relatively, eggs are not part of making Nigerian fried rice recipes like it is for Asian fried rice recipe.
Similarities and Differences
All fried rice is not the same - some are better than others. Nigerian fried rice is not the same as the famous Asian fried rice (Chinese fried rice) we see in the Western world.
Aside from the differences mentioned above, making fried rice Nigerian style can also make the leftovers last longer. Sometimes our fried rice leftovers can last up to 5 days in the fridge. Obviously, the first and foremost similarity is that both recipes use rice! You can also make both recipes using cauliflower rice. My cauliflower fried rice is a lighter version of my Nigerian fried rice recipe.
Second, these two recipes use vegetables, rarely have I seen a fried rice recipe that did not include assorted vegetables.
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Broth Substitutes
You can substitute chicken broth with vegetable broth or stock, and if you have neither the cook the rice with seasoned water. Short answer: no. Long answer: the closest option would be turkey broth, and if you are vegan, or you desire to make vegan fried rice, then use vegetable broth. On the other hand, you can make use of seasoned water. But, honestly, if all you have is beef broth, and you want to use it, you can give it a try and let me know how it went. Perhaps the color won’t be as bright, and also, the taste may be slightly affected.
Typically, Nigerian fried rice gets its color from some of the ingredients - curry, turmeric, broth, and vegetables. Equally, it gets its taste from the ingredients as well.
Easier, healthier, and irresistibly delicious Nigerian fried rice recipe. This fried rice recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free, and you can effortlessly make it vegan fried rice if you so wish by cooking the rice in vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Packed with assorted nutritious veggies, this vegetable fried is a must-try!
Wash and cut all the vegetables. In a clean pot, add the broth or stock, usually at a ratio of 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of broth. Add washed rice when the broth starts boiling. Cook for about 20 - 25 minutes or until rice is more than halfway cooked (about 75% cooked) and all liquid absorbed (please see the video). Turn off and set the rice aside. Then in a clean pan, start by frying the vegetables and slowly adding rice to about one cup at a time. Do not overcrowd the pan-just bit by bit.
To explain this: set a clean pan on the stove, add oil, then add onion/garlic as it heats up. Cook for 1 - 2 minutes, add bell peppers, cook another 2 minutes, and add mixed vegetables. Season with a little salt, curry, seasoning cube, or powder, and then add the already cooked rice-Fry to your desired consistency. Taste and adjust, repeat to fry all the rice. Garnish with parsley and mint leaves. Avoid overcooking the rice. I always do 1-part rice to 2 parts broth. For instance, to cook one cup of rice, you will need two cups of broth.
Nigerian Fried Chicken Recipe
Juicy fried chicken! Hope our weekend went by slower than mine. Did we cook soups this weekend, was the beef seasoning for soup helpful? I tagged it 201 because it’s a slightly advanced method of marinating called brining but brining with Nigerian ingredients. This process makes the chicken tender and juicy after it’s fried, it’s certainly worth a shot. This process is very useful when handling large portions of chicken.
For this recipe, you’ll need regular SOFT chicken, hard chicken may not cook to perfection especially, if you don’t brine it long enough. I will be brining my chicken before coating with flour and frying. It is important to brine chicken first before frying because chicken fries crisper and is more tender and juicy if soaked in buttermilk prior.
If you want extra crunchiness in your fried chicken, I’ll recommend you add some Panko bread crumbs or crushed corn flakes to your flour before coating the chicken with it. This gives the chicken a crunchy type texture and taste, I’m not a huge fan of crunchiness so I don’t use any. You can twist the ingredients to suit your taste buds.
In West Africa, we steam or poach our chicken first in a sauce pan - preferably one with a lid, that fits securely on top, before deep-frying. This helps the spices to infiltrate the chicken, retain moisture and more importantly, to assure that the chicken is fully cooked while shortening the cooking time.
Clean and rinse the chicken thoroughly. Tip: I always prefer to marinate my chicken overnight with knorr chicken cubes, garlic powder, mixed herbs, Aromat seasoning and a teeny bit of sunflower oil. This helps to enhance the flavour. After marination, You’ll still need to season your chicken again before cooking, makes sure it’s as flavourful as possible.
Brining Process
Mix all the ingredients in a small pot and bring to the boil. Once brine is cold, transfer all its content into a narrow plastic bowl. Add the chicken pieces, cover the bowl and place it in the fridge overnight. The chicken should stay in the brine 7-12 hours only.
Transfer the chicken into a deep bowl, add the buttermilk. Transfer into a brining bag if you have one, if you don’t just cover the bowl up and place in a fridge overnight or at least 6 hours. Mine was brined for 24 hours.
Break the eggs into a small bowl, beat and set aside. Dip one piece of chicken at a time into the egg first, then into the flour pepper mixture then place on the tray.
Now, dip each chicken into the flour mixture, ensure the chicken is well coated. A KFC bag right?
This step is very important, please ensure your oil isn’t too hot and definitely not too cool. It should be moderately hot, if your oil splatters when you add your chicken, it’s definitely too hot. This is so the chicken cooks we’ll both inside and out.
Once the onions starts turning black, take them out and start frying the chicken. Don’t over crowd the oil, fry 4/5 pieces of chicken at a time. Each batch should be fried for at least 10-12 minutes. And that’s it!
So I desperately wanted to bake this chicken - without using any oil. So I caved in, the thought of fried chicken just does that to me.
I paired them with fries - yes, plantain fries - my all time favorite starchy side. The trick is to make them with green plantains or barely ripe plantains - they still have to be firm. For those that want to make these fries without deep-frying, just lightly spray with canola oil and bake. You can follow the instructions here.
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