Meal/Food recipes from all over the world and simple directions on how to prepare them

Which is better - Nigerian Jollof or Ghanaian "Jellof"

Coconut Jollof Rice

There are two things that set my coconut Jollof apart – One is in the use of my now famous roasted stew base which gives the rice a smoky flavour. The other is my two step crayfish process. The end result is rich, smoky, fragrant and ho so delicious.

Ingredients

¼ cup Coconut Oil
1 medium Onion (Thinly Sliced)
1 can Coconut Milk (400ml)
2 Knorr Cubes
Some Salt – To Taste
Some Ground Pepper – To Taste
4 heaped tablespoons Crayffish (Divided)
3 cooking spoons Nigerian Stew Base
3 cups Rice – Washed

How to Cook

Cooking Time: 60 minutes

​Place a pot with a tight fitting lead on medium heat, heat up the coconut oil. Add in sliced onions and fry until translucent and fragrant.
Add in stew base, Knorr/Maggi/Royco, salt, pepper, half crayfish, coconut milk and 1 cup of water. Cover and allow to simmer on low-medium heat for 15 minutes.
Uncover the pot and stir in rice. increase heat to medium. Leave to come to a boil (when you see bubbles ontop of the rice). Reduce heat to low-medium and cover the pot tightly.
Cook for 15 minutes (if using basmati) or for 25 minutes (if using parboiled rice)
Fluff the cooked rice with a fork then add in the left over crayfish (This is the absolute best part, it is amazing!!)

courtesy : www.cookbookninja.com

The World Famous Nigerian Jollof Rice

Ingredients

1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 large Onion, Sliced
2 (14.5 Ounce) Cans Stewed Tomatoes
1/2 (6 Ounce) Can Tomato Paste
1 teaspoon Chopped Fresh Rosemary
1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg'
1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
2 cups Water
1 (3 Pound) Whole Chicken, Cut Into 8 Pieces
1 cup Diced Carrots
1/2 pound Fresh Green Beans, Trimmed And Snapped Into 1 To 2 Inch Pieces

How to Cook

Cooking Time: 80 minutes

Pour oil into large saucepan. Cook onion in oil over medium-low heat until translucent.
Stir in stewed tomatoes and tomato paste, and season with salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce and rosemary. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, stir in water, and add chicken pieces. Simmer for 30 minutes.
Stir in rice, carrots, and green beans, and season with nutmeg. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover, and simmer until the chicken is fork-tender and the rice is cooked, 25 to 30 minutes.

courtesy www.cookbookninja.com

Beans and Plantain Pottage

The Beans and Plantain Pottage is garnished with chopped fluted pumpkin leaves (ugu) (or your preferred chopped green vegetable) which is completely optional but its nice to get some greens in there and you could add much more than the recipe calls for as greens are good for you, so just throw a generous amount in there.

Ingredients

700 grams Brown Beans Or Black Eyed Peas
4 Fingers Of Ripe And Firm Plantains (About 500 Grams Peeled And Sliced In Rounds About 1 Cm Thick)
3 medium Smoked Dry Fishes (About 90 Grams Peeled)
350 mls Red Palm Oil
3 tsp Salt
3 tbsp Ground Dry Crayfish
3 large Red Scotch Bonnets (Rodo) (Approx. 25 Grams, Chopped)
2 medium Onions (330 Grams) (Chopped Finely)
1 medium Ginger (40 Grams) (Peeled And Grated Smooth)
100 grams Ugu (Fluted Pumpkin Leaves, Thoroughly Washed And Chopped Finely)

How to Cook

Cooking Time: 65 minutes

Using the quick soak method, sort/pick the beans and rinse before cooking. Place the beans in a large saucepan with about 2 liters to 2.5 liters of water. Bring to a rapid boil on medium-high heat; boil 2 more minutes.
Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 hour. Drain, discard the water used in soaking and then rinse the beans.
Add about 1.2 liters of fresh water to the beans. Cover and bring just to boiling on medium-high heat. Once it starts to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer gently with lid tilted for about 1-1/2 hours or until soft and tender, stirring occasionally. Stir very little to prevent breaking of skins. Feel free to add water a little at a time if needed, during cook time.
About 15 minutes to the end of the cooking time, gently stir in plantain,dry fish, salt and crayfish and continue to cook. Meanwhile, pour the palm oil into a saucepan and place on medium heat and immediately add the chopped scotch bonnets, onions and grated ginger. Fry for about 12 minutes stirring occasionally, then turn off heat. Immediately pour the palm oil fry into the beans and stir gently until thoroughly combined.
Stir in chopped Ugu leaves.
Taste and adjust seasoning, take off the heat and serve.

courtesy www.cookbookninja.com

Akara (fried ground bean balls)

These go best with Pap (Akamu/Ogi) or with Bread

Often seen in Nigerian roadside stalls.When you buy these from vendors you often have a choice of sauces some homemade, some shop bought, all are spicy to complement the mild taste of the balls. You can add spice if you wish to the mix but I prefer plain balls so that I can use an assortment of sauces without taste clashes.

Ingredients

1 cup Black-Eyed Peas
Some Oil (For Deep Frying)
1⁄4 teaspoon Black Pepper

How to Cook

Cooking Time: 60 minutes

Soak the blackeyed beans overnight (if using dried).
Next day, if any water is left in the soaked beans, drain it.
Now, in a blender, grind the beans with salt to taste and black pepper until beans become like a paste.
Grind until there it is a thick paste but still bit coarse.
Add little water if needed to make paste.
Now heat oil in frying pan.
When oil is hot, scoop one spoonful of paste into oil, repeat until there is no space for more scoops.
Turn occasionally and remove from oil when brownish in colour.
Ready to serve with pap,bread, sauce.

Courtesy : www.cookbookninja.com

Honey Baked Chicken

Baked chicken with a sweet and spicy glaze.

Ingredients

1 (3 KG) Whole Chicken, Cut Into Pieces
1/2 cup Honey
1/4 cup Prepared Mustard
1 teaspoon Curry Powder

How to Cook

Cooking Time: 90 minutes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place chicken pieces in a shallow baking pan, skin side up. Combine the melted butter or margarine, honey, mustard, salt and curry powder and pour the mixture over the chicken. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 1/4 hours (75 minutes), basting every 15 minutes with pan drippings, until the chicken is nicely browned and tender and the juices run clear.

courtesy : www.cookbookninja.com