Village In The City

 

Native rice. The village’s touch in modern cooking.

By Asmaa Adeleye

You have had a lot of rice in your life, and surely, more is to come. Fried rice. Jollof rice. Coconut rice. Watermelon rice. Brown rice. Burnt rice, the most delicious part of jollof rice.

Rice and water are literally tugging at the ropes of ‘who has more’. And of course, it is natural that you get tired of the constancy of rice except we are alike.

As a student, you are brought to the realization that you walk out to walk into rice bondage. Luckily, to your rescue comes the fun, stepping in like the hero. Into the pot to save the day. It ignites the cuisine art of blending and steaming delicacies, turning the least wanted into the most craved. Birthing a new dish, a new sight to behold.

Let's talk about the taste. A spoon of the dish takes you to the house of nature. You sit on a chair of soft ocean waves, recline on a bed of clouds under a roof of leaves. You watch heaven from your television and feel the grandeur with your tongue.

Now, It's time to show the world what sits in the jaw dropping dish and take them down the road of preparation.

INGREDIENTS:

Rice

Smoked Fish

Ponmo

Catfish

Shrimps

Palm oil

Vegetable oil

Onions

Grated pepper

Salt

Seasonings/Spices

Chopped meat

Locust beans

Veggies

Ugwu

Meat stock

PREPARATION:

Pour palm oil and vegetable oil into a dried pot. Put the sliced onions and allow to saute. Add your locust beans. Divide the smoked fish into two portions. Add the first portion to the locust beans and onions and leave to fry for some minutes.

Add the grated pepper, salt and seasonings. Put the shrimps, crayfish, ponmo, chopped meats, and pieces of smoked fish. Pour in the meat stock. Leave it for some minutes, then add your rice. Leave it to fry before adding hot water.

Make a separate sauce. Add palm oil, add onions and locust beans, leave it to fry for a few minutes. Then add grated pepper, ponmo, the second portion of the smoked fish, chopped meats, and shrimps. Leave it for some minutes to fry. Add seasoning and stir it until done.

Once the rice is cooked, add the sauce to it and stir them together until it gives a perfect look of native rice. Then your native rice is done.