Nigerian Family Recipes: Easy Meals for Home Cooking

Nigerian Jollof Rice

A family-size, smoky, one-pot Nigerian jollof rice with simple ingredients.

Ingredients

• 3 cups long grain parboiled rice
• 4 large tomatoes, blended
• 1 red bell pepper, blended
• 1 scotch bonnet, blended (adjust to taste)
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 bouillon cubes
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Wash rice in warm water until water runs clear, then drain.
2. Heat oil in a heavy pot, sauté onions, then stir in tomato paste and fry 5 minutes.
3. Add the blended tomato, pepper, and scotch bonnet. Cook 15 to 20 minutes until oil floats to the top.
4. Stir in curry, thyme, bay leaves, bouillon, and salt. Pour in chicken stock and bring to a boil.
5. Add rice, stir once, cover tightly, and cook on low 25 to 30 minutes until tender. Stir gently before serving.

Notes

• For smoky flavor, leave the pot on low heat 5 extra minutes without stirring.

Easy Egusi Soup

A Nigerian egusi soup with palm oil, greens, and assorted meats.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups ground egusi
• 1/2 cup palm oil
• 1/2 cup blended pepper
• 2 tbsp ground crayfish
• 1 cup cooked stockfish
• 1 lb assorted meat (beef, goat, or chicken), cooked
• 2 cups chopped spinach or ugu
• 2 bouillon cubes
• 1 onion, diced
• Salt

Instructions

1. Mix ground egusi with a little water to form a paste.
2. Heat palm oil, sauté onion, then add pepper. Cook 5 minutes.
3. Add meat, stockfish, crayfish, bouillon, and salt. Stir.
4. Drop egusi paste in lumps. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.
5. Stir, add 1 cup water if needed, and cook 5 more minutes.
6. Add greens, cook 3 minutes, and serve with swallow or rice.

Beans Porridge

A budget-friendly Nigerian beans porridge with palm oil and plantain.

Ingredients

• 2 cups brown beans or black-eyed peas
• 1/3 cup palm oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 scotch bonnet, blended
• 2 tbsp ground crayfish
• 2 bouillon cubes
• 1 ripe plantain, diced (optional)
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Soak beans 1 hour, then boil until soft, about 45 minutes.
2. Add palm oil, onion, pepper, crayfish, bouillon, and salt. Simmer 10 minutes.
3. Add plantain and cook 8 more minutes until soft.
4. Stir and serve warm.

Yam and Egg Sauce

Boiled yam served with a quick tomato and egg sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 medium yam, peeled and sliced
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 scotch bonnet, diced
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 bouillon cube
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Boil yam in salted water 15 minutes until tender, then drain.
2. Sauté onion in oil, add tomatoes, pepper, and scotch bonnet. Cook 5 minutes.
3. Season with bouillon and salt.
4. Pour in beaten eggs and stir gently until just set.
5. Serve warm with the yam.