Village rice as it is popularly called or native Jollof rice is typically prepared in a single pot with the ideal ratio of native Nigerian spices and either dry fish, smoked fish or shrimps.
Everything is thrown in at once. Because this recipe contains palm oil and other native Nigerian spices, native jollof differs significantly from the well-known Nigerian Jollof Rice.
The wonderful thing about native jollof is that you may add meat, dried fish and shrimp to make your recipe your own. Dried fish adds an additional taste to native jollof cooking in addition to palm oil. It imparts a genuine, traditional flavor to the food.
This Village Rice is full of flavor and fragrant herbs. For a rich, aromatic taste, you can add a mixture of Utazi, Uziza, Efinrin, and basil, also known as curry leaf. You can also use a lot of crayfish, Iru and Ugba.
COOKING INGRIDIENTS
Long Grain Rice
Roughly blended pepper base (tatashe/ bawa/rodo)
Crayfish powder
Onions (chopped)
Iru (fermented locust beans)
Ugba
Ponmo
Smoked fish (shredded)
Stockfish
Palm oil
Efinrin
Utazi Leaves
Uziza Leaves
Basil
Salt to taste
Seasoning cubes
Rich meat stock
Slice all your vegetables thinly
COOKING DIRECTIONS
Place a clean pot on heat and bleach palm oil up slightly with the lid on.
Allow bleached oil to cool before continuing your cooking.
Turn the heat back on, add chopped onions, iru, ugba and fry till onions are tender.
Add pepper blend and season with crayfish powder, salt, seasoning cubes, stock, half of the chopped vegetables.
Cook for about 15 minutes on medium heat, till the water is completely reduced.
Add rice, pomo, smoked fish, stockfish and water.
Continue to cook on medium heat.
When the water level has dropped below the rice surface, cover the rice with tin foil or MoinMoin leaves, then put the lid on to trap the steam.
Turn the heat to low and leave the rice to cook.
Once the water is dried, add the rest of your sliced vegetables.
Stir your village rice with a wooden ladle to ensure all the condiments are well mixed.
Serve your village rice hot.
