Quick and Easy Nigerian Recipes

1. Jollof Rice: A Classic in Nigerian Recipes

Jollof rice is a staple in Nigerian cuisine, and it’s surprisingly easy to make. This one-pot dish is a favorite among Nigerians, and its flavor is unmatched.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of uncooked rice
• 2 cups of water
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon of grated ginger
• 1 cup of tomato puree
• 1 teaspoon of Jollof rice spice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a pot and sauté the onion, garlic, and ginger.
2. Add the tomato puree and Jollof rice spice. Stir well.
3. Add the rice and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover.
4. Simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is cooked.

2. Suya Chicken: A Nigerian Street Food Favorite

Suya is a popular Nigerian street food that’s easy to make and packed with flavor.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of chicken breast or thighs
• 1/2 cup of peanut sauce
• 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon of ginger powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of cumin powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat a grill or grill pan.
2. In a bowl, mix peanut sauce, oil, garlic, ginger powder, cumin powder, salt, and pepper.
3. Add the chicken and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
4. Grill the chicken until cooked through.

3. Egusi Soup: A Nutritious Nigerian Recipe

Egusi soup is a nutritious and flavorful dish made with ground melon seeds.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of ground melon seeds
• 2 cups of water
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon of grated ginger
• 1 cup of vegetables (such as spinach, bitter leaves, or pumpkin leaves)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a pot and sauté the onion, garlic, and ginger.
2. Add the ground melon seeds and stir well.
3. Add the water and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the soup thickens.
5. Add the vegetables and cook until they’re tender.

Conclusion

Nigerian recipes don’t have to be time-consuming or complicated. With these quick and easy recipes, busy women can enjoy delicious and authentic Nigerian meals on-the-go. Whether it’s Jollof rice, Suya chicken, or Egusi soup, there’s something for everyone. So, go ahead and give these recipes a try!

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Everyone knows motherhood is tough. One of the most challenging parts of food matters is meal planning. Meal planning forms a major foundation for a great family life. From fussing over the little ones to ensuring the man of the house stays healthy and fine, the work associated with every meal never ends.

In this article, you will discover how to make meal time easy and more interesting with these meal planning tips. Here are five ways to simplify food matters without stress:

Practise Bulk Buying

The thought of going to the market every other day is enough to weigh any woman down. All you need to make it easy is to work with a standard list of your weekly food needs. Once this is adequately captured, you can create a workable budget and shop biweekly or monthly. Your time, body and family will thank you.

Follow a Meal Table

Waiting hours before mealtime makes it difficult to attend to food matters. Creating a food table, however, gives you food ideas you can work with every other day. Apart from having options to choose from, you also get the chance to prepare a balanced diet for every member of the family. For food ideas to add to the Meal table, check out SisiYemmie’s Youtube Channel.

Add Fruits to the Mix

Meal planning is not only about food, fruits also play a major part in this episode. Fruits give vitamins and minerals to balance out the nutrients gotten from food. Fruits do not only give your body these additional nutrients; they also function as healthy snacks giving you and your loved ones alternatives outside of food. From oranges to pineapples to walnuts, there are many options to choose from for a satisfying meal-planning arrangement. Try it out today!

Embrace Leftovers

Every time you make a meal, especially for a large family, there is the possibility of having leftovers. The good part is you can rejig the leftover into a different meal. For example, leftover white rice can be used to make fried rice. Leftover yams can be used to make porridge the next day. There is room for creativity if you give yourself enough room. Think about it.

Prepare Ingredients Ahead

This tip is easy to miss but makes all the difference.

One major way to reduce the time spent whipping up meals is to prepare ingredients the day before. Have plans to make a salad? Slice the condiments the day before and store them in the fridge. This means a shorter time of preparation and ease. Wish to make fried rice on a Wednesday? Parboil the rice and dice the vegetables on Tuesday. Get into the kitchen on Wednesday and whip the main dish up in less than 20 mins. Yes, it is that simple!

All of these tips give you the resources needed to make mealtime easier. Have you tried any? Share by leaving a comment below. Watch out for the next article!

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Here is a list of your beloved spices and the pest they work against when applied properly:

Black Pepper

This is used to give food a spicy taste but works well to send ants away. All you have to do is sprinkle it around the entry point of these little ants and watch them scatter in different directions

Vinegar

This liquid is used for baking and cooking. It is also very useful for cleaning as it has properties that repel bugs and ants. All have to do is add a few drops to your cleaning liquid and wipe your tabletops and cabinet corners. Your kitchen will be free of these pests for a period of time. However, you have to repeat this process from time to time to keep your kitchen pest-free.

Cinnamon

This nice smelling spice is mostly used for oriental dishes and has the power to rid your kitchen of mice. A few sprinkles in every corner of your kitchen will save you the stress of running around with a broom. Try this today.

Bay Leaves

Famous for adding a fine scent & taste to your Nigerian Jollof rice, this tiny leaf is very useful when it comes to eliminating smelly cockroaches whether big or small. All you have to do is put a few leaves in the raw foodstuff whether grains or powder and watch the cockroaches scurry out like tenants that have been served a quit notice.

Lemongrass

This is used for its aromatic properties which gives food a scent that makes it endearing. This is the same reason it is effective against wall geckos. Just chop the lemongrass into pieces and scatter around their usual hiding place which could be under the stove, in dark cupboards, etc. In no time, your home will be free from the hold of this crawler.

Use what you have at your disposal and make your kitchen feel and look better without the creeping things that try to make your life miserable. Safeguard your kitchen today.

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These steps will help-

Cover your Hair

We must have heard this line several times and we just ignore because it almost does not make sense to start covering your hair in your own kitchen. But then sometimes we wonder how some strands of hair get into our food, forgetting that it is because we left our hair flying about while cooking our meal. There are lots of things in our hair, some of us even have dandruff in there and might want to scratch from time. It is advisable to get your hair covered even if all you are cooking is pasta.

Do not Talk While Cooking

The kitchen should not be an avenue for discussion especially when you are cooking. When we are talking the spit in our mouth have the tendency of circulating its potential. Which is why it being advisable not to talk over the food. If you must talk ensure all the food are properly covered.

Don’t Dip Your Hand into the Food

In as much as tasting what you are cooking is essential, do it the right way. Avoid dipping your hand inside the food to taste it, use the cooking utensils to do that. Take out the food with your spoon and then taste. The spoon should not go straight to your mouth if you will still dip it inside the food, there are other people that will be eating the food.

Don’t Wash Your Hand in the food

Some persons are of the habit of washing the spices off their hand into the food they are cooking. That particular portion of your hand will not make the food taste better, instead of washing your hand into it simply wash your hand. It is somehow irritating to see someone doing that while cooking, for a healthy cooking hygiene, avoids such.

Clean Everything You Use Immediately

The secret to a sparkling kitchen is a good clean up. Pay attention to everything you used to cook and then wash them immediately you are done. You do not have to pile up all dirty utensils to show that you just cooked. I am aware that cooking can be quite hectic but if you keep washing immediately you use them, they will not be left piled up.

Don’t Leave Your Food on the Fire to Quickly See a Movie

To the Telemundo and Zee world fans, I know we love to see the end of that movie but let us ensure that we pay attention to one thing at a time so we do not burn the food. No one enjoys eating burnt food, for your food to come out nice, pay enough attention to it.

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Nigerian Jollof Rice

This is a favourite any day! It is one of the most tasty and easy to cook meals. The taste is guaranteed whether served cold or hot.  To prepare a meal of Jollof rice, you need-

Some Chicken / Beef

1 cup of rice

Blended tomatoes and pepper

Onions

Spices

Groundnut oil.

This will take about 30-45 minutes to cook. A taste of the Nigerian Jollof will see you craving for more.

Okro Soup

This is considered the easiest to cook. It can be locally referred to as Ofe okwuru in ibo, or Obe ila in Yoruba. This soup can be made to be eaten alone or eaten with any Nigerian swallow (Eba, Semo, Amala, Fufu, Pounded yam etc). To make this meal, the following ingredients are required-

Some Okro

Stock fish/ Dried fish/ Smoked fish

Meat (beef, chicken, turkey, etc)/ Fresh fish ( as you desire)

Spices

Palm oil

Cray fish

Pepper

Yam and Garden Egg Sauce

Yam is easy to cook. All you have to do is to get a tuber (or any quantity you desire), slice, peel the yam and you can cook. Using the garden egg instead of the chicken laid eggs makes it tasty, indigenous and more nutritious. Eating with garden egg is more hygienic.

To make the garden egg sauce, any type of garden egg available will do. Ingredients needed include-

Yam

Garden eggs

Palm oil

Onion,

Sausages

Fish

Pepper

Spices.

Quick to prepare and effective for healthy living.

Moi Moi

Tommy says this is as simple as ABC. So long you have your blended beans with pepper. Moi-Moi is almost ready. Moi-moi can be garnished with eggs or fish. It can also be eaten alone or with bread, rice, custard, ogi etc. A meal high in protein, nutritious and delicious. Ingredients needed include-

Beans

Onions,

Red bell pepper (Tatashe)

Scotch bonnet pepper (ata rodo)

Crayfish

Groundnut oil

Spices

Noodles

This is the simplest of them all. Once you have your boiling water ready, open the packs of noodles and empty the content into the boiling water. Can be prepared with carrots, green peas, sweet corn etc. Several brands of noodles exist: Indomie, Golden penny, Honey well etc. Very delicious, and easy to cook. To prepare a meal of noodles, you need-

Packs of noodles

Onions

Pepper

Carrot

Green peas

Meat/Fish/Chicken (as you desire)

Spices

There you have it! 5 easy to prepare meals not just for foreigners but for all who are in-love with the Nigerian dishes and would love to try it out. These meals will see you craving for more.

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Jollof Rice

The meal Jollof rice, has been heard all over the world. I dare say anyone who has not had a taste of this delicacy is yet to know the meaning of delicious. Infact there has been a global argument on which Jollof rice is most tasty, trust Nigerian Jollof to win the debate.

It does not only look inviting, it tastes….yummy!

You can cook a meal of Jollof rice this way.

Bean Cake

Locally called Akara. These delicious protein snack can be eaten with pap (ogi) or bread making them ideal for breakfast. Most people use peeled brown beans, ground and blended with onions and spices or beans powder and fry in vegetable oil. This will help you make it.

Suya

Spiced cuts of meat, grilled with oil &spices (yaji) over an open flame. Often served with sharp, raw chopped onions, tomato, cucumber and cabbage. They can either be wrapped in a foil or newspaper. This is an exquisite delicacy; a specialty of the northerners. The peppery taste is soothing.

Zobo

The roselle plant is the zobo flower itself. It is used in making the zobo drink. Anyone can make the drink to suit his/her taste. Very healthy and medicinal– one can add fruits of any kind to give it a fruity taste. Find the recipe for zobo drink here.

Moin Moin

Of the protein family, Moin Moin is made of peeled Nigerian brown beans ground together with onions, bell pepper, palm oil and spices, and steamed in banana leaves, small bowls or nylons. This meal can be garnished with fish, eggs, and beef dependent on choice.

Can be eaten as part of a main dish with, e.g. with rice, bread or soaked garri. Here is the recipe.

Dodo

An all-time favourite, these are slices of ripe plantain fried in a pan of vegetable oil. They can be cut anyhow either in slim diagonal slices, circles or cubes (and deep-dried. Some people like to sprinkle some salt on before frying, but that’s down to personal taste. It’s a snack, a side dish, a main meal. You would always enjoy a meal of dodo. It can be served as a whole meal and/or a side dish.

All you need do is peel, chop and fry the plantain.

Edikangikong

This is a leafy vegetable soup from the Cross River region of Nigeria. The (iron-rich) greens are a mixture of ugwu (a fluted pumpkin leaf) and gbure (waterleaf). In places where these leaves are unavailable, people use spinach (efo soko) instead. This soup includes a blend of meat, fish and periwinkles.

Edikangikong can be eaten with pounded yam or fufu.

Ogbono

Otherwise called Apon by the Yoruba tribe of Nigeria. This soup is made from grounded ogbono (African mango) seeds plus palm oil, stock fish and spices. It is a draw soup usually eaten with eba, fufu, pounded yam or amala. It makes swallowing easy. This is the recipe here.

Pepper Soup

A very spicy drinking soup or broth, full of assorted choped meat or fish and scented leaves of Uziza. You can add extras like chunks of boiled plantain or yam, as well as a dash of palm oil to serve. The spices used vary depending on the region; every ethnic group has its own unique way of making this soup: which may include the use of local scented leaves and spices. Got a cold, pepper soup is the best remedy. It can be prepared this way

Banga

A palm fruit-based soup that is most commonly associated with the Delta region, and particularly the Urhobo ethnic group. Cooking this soup requires the palm fruit, fish and seafood, beef etc.

The taste of this soup is different. A blend of palm fruits, shellfish and meat creates that delicious exquisite taste. This is best eaten with Starch or Eba. The recipe is here

Efo Riro

The Efo riro is a Yoruba dish. It is a Vegetable stew, rich in blended scotch bonnets, bell pepper, onions locust beans and plenty of palm oil. Efo soko is best for making this soup. You can prepare this meal following these steps

Ewa Agoyin

A taste of this meal will leave you drooling for more. Ewa Agoyin is mashed brown beans served with a pepper and palm oil sauce.

This originated from the Beninoise people of Benin Republic. The beans is cooked until very soft and served with dark peppery sauce made of palm oil base, dried peppers and onions. Can be eaten with bread, plaintain or yam. The recipe is here

There you have it, these exquisite meals give Nigeria a unique identity of its own. Let’s have your experience if you have tasted any of the above. Please feel free to share any meal you think should be included in this list.

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Your kitchen can look good without you breaking the bank, with few not too expensive essentials you can have your desired kitchen. We will be discussing how this can be made into a reality in the subsequent paragraphs.

Space

This is an important factor in setting up your kitchen. Irrespective of the things you will be placing in the pantry, an accurate space should be considered. Cooking will require you moving around to get some things together and it is therefore imperative that you have a considerable space left in the pantry for the exercise.

Good Furniture Setting

This includes your Cabinet, Center table, Stool, among others. You can make or buy your preferred design of these furniture. The cabinet does the job of storage which means different items should be allocated their own corner in the cabinet/shelve; this will reduce the frustration of searching for objects. It allows orderliness in the kitchen area, you can also sit around the center table while cooking to relax.

Colourful Painting

Your kitchen should be a place of attraction for you always and the colours should be quite exciting. Colours that can be easily stained should be avoided because steams can stain the walls especially white.

Good Lightening

Cooking takes place at any time of the day, mostly at night, so we need good lights to enable easy movement. You also need the light well projected to enable clear vision while cooking: you would need to look closely at the ingredients. In actual fact, nothing can be compared to cooking with good lightning, the cook/chef will feel relaxed and confident.

Cooking Appliances

Style your kitchen with colorful appliances. It gives an elegant look. Ranging from your blender, orange squeezer, toasting machine, microwave, electric cooker, pressure pots, etc These are essentials you need, so you can always walk into your kitchen and get yourself anything you desire.

Dish Holder

This is vital because your dishes need to be properly placed in a neat area, you will also need a dish towel to clean and cover just to prevent dust.

Waste Bin

The absence of this gets the kitchen itself dirty/messy. Cooking involves separating garbage from useful stuffs, the waste bin will do the job of accommodating the waste and leaving your kitchen spotless.

Do ensure that all your cooking utensils are always glittering and far from being rusty. Then you can walk into your kitchen feeling totally cosy.

Google Images

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The secrets to cooking a proper Okazi soup right are the condiments  in the soup.

Ingredients needed are- Okazi leaf, periwinkles, Ogiri Isi etc. Ogiri Isi is one ingredient worth including in your local delicacy. Although Ogiri has an unpleasant smell despite its sweet taste.
Okazi leaves has a rich source of protein, essential and non-essential amino acids. It also has an anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic and antioxidant properties.

Okazi soup can be made with or without a thickener depends on how you want it to look or taste.

Cooking Okazi Soup
Preparation Time: 20 minutes.
Cook Time: 50 minutes

Orisirisi (Ingredients):

1. 300g of Okazi leaves (sliced thinly).
2. Red beef
3. 2 spoons of Achi(grounded)
4. 2 scotch bonnet pepper (Atarodo)
5. 1 Small Stock fish Part (oporoko)
6. 1 Small dry fish and Crayfish.
7. 1 big sized Onion
8. 200g periwinkles (Optional).
9. 2 Seasoning cubes.
10. Palm oil
11. Salt to taste.

Cooking Directions:
1. Pound the Okazi leaves, pound with pestle till it becomes almost a paste.
2. Grind the Achi with a dry mill and put it aside.
3. If you are using periwinkles you could either use the shelled or un-shelled type. For those using the shelled make sure you rinse well to remove the mud and any hidden dirt from the shell, chop off the sharp edge of the periwinkles with a knife. Once you are done with that put the periwinkles aside.
4. For the base of the soup wash the stock fish, beef, dry fish and put in a pot.
5. Add the seasoning cubes, salt, onions and grounded pepper.
6. Add a little water enough to cover the contents of the pot and cook for about 15mins till you get your desired tenderness. (At least for 15 mins).
7. Add palm oil and mix once the stock starts to boil.
8. Add your Achi and mix.(Leave to cook for about 15 mins)
9. Add your periwinkles and Cray fish. (Allow To Cook For 5mins).
10. Add The Pounded Okazi Leaves. Let it cook for 10mins and more.

Your Okazi soup is ready and can be served with either wheatmeal,pounded yam, semovita or eba.

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Back in the 90’s, it was termed “Christmas Rice” by all. Then you would find little children going from house to house for a fill of this delicious meal.

Over the years, a lot of arguments have ensued on which country pioneered the cooking of the sweet delicacy of Jollof rice in Africa, this argument has been between two powerful countries in Africa (Nigeria and Ghana). Ghanaians claim Jollof rice originated from Ghana while Nigerians believe they own it. some have gone far to iron out which tastes better; Ghana Jollof or Nigeria Jollof. Whichever, One can deny the meal will always be an all-time favourite.

In preparing this sweet delicacy, these steps should be noted.

Step 1– Ingredients :
• 6 large fresh tomatoes (I prefer buying from the mallam’s).
• 6 large fresh tatashe (Bell pepper).
• 3 medium sized onion bulbs.
• Pepper.
• Vegetable oil (Buy a healthy choice).
• 2 teaspoons thyme.
• Chicken stock/Beef stock.
• 4 Cups rice.
• 4 bay leaves.
• Curry.
• Salt.
• 3 cubes of seasoning.

Step 2– Cooking the Jollof
1. Blend your tomatoes, tatashe, onion bulbs into a paste.
2. Parboil the rice.
3. Pour oil into the pot.
4. Add the paste into the hot oil, allow paste to fry.
5. Add your seasoning and spice for taste.
6. Add stock water.
7. Add bay leaf.
8. Allow to boil for few minutes.
9. Add parboiled rice.
10. Cover the pot and leave to cook on low to medium heat so as to enable the rice to cook properly without burning.(Allow to cook for 10 minutes, if not edible enough add little water to the rice until you are satisfied.)
Viola!!! The hidden secret of getting the right taste of Jollof rice is by letting the water level added to the pot to be the same level of the rice. This is to ensure that all the water dries up by the time the rice is cooked. 
Serve with fried meat or chicken, coleslaw, salad, moi-moi and plantain. Remember to remove the bay leaf as you serve your rice.

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