Plantain Mosa

This version of Plantain Mosa is quite similar to Plantain Puffs because they are both prepared with overripe plantains and flour. But that's where the similarities end because this version looks like pancakes and it is not deep-fried. Plantain Mosa Ingredients The following ingredients give 6 medium Plan-cakes: 1 overripe plantain 1 egg 3 tablespoons plain flour (all purpose flour) Cool water ½ teaspoon salt Ground cayenne pepper (to taste) 2 tablespoons evaporated milk Vegetable oil (for frying) More information about the ingredients You need just enough vegetable oil to grease the frying pan before pouring the batter. You need enough water to give the mashed plantain a medium consistency so that it can pass through the sieve easily. Directions Break the egg into a bowl, beat and set aside. Peel the overripe plantain and mash with a fork till a good blend is achieved. Add cool water to the mashed plantain bit by bit and mix on each occasion till you get a medium consistency. Pass the medium consistency blend through a sieve into the egg. Mix very well. Sift the plain flour into the mixture from Step 4. Mix thoroughly. Add salt, cayenne pepper and evaporated milk and stir very well. It is ready to be fried. Set your frying pan over medium heat and pour a small quantity of vegetable oil; just enough to grease the frying pan. This should be about 1 tablespoon of oil. When hot, pour a small amount of batter into the pan to make a 5mm thick and 5 inch diameter plan-cake. Keep an eye on it and once you see the edge of the plan-cake caking, flip it to fry the other side too. It is ready when both sides are light brown. They should look like the Plantain Mosas in the image above. Fry the rest of the dough using steps 8 to 10. That's it! Serve with a chilled drink: Kunun Aya, Nigerian Chapman, Zobo and many others. For breakfast, serve with Custard, Ogi/Akamu or with Oatmeal.
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Nigerian Fried Beans

Nigerian Fried Beans is so delicious that even those who do not like beans enjoy it! The closest Nigerian meal is Ewa Agoyin. All you have to do is make sure that every single bean seed is well coated with palm oil. So add enough Palm OYEL to the meal. Palm oil is good for you! :) Ingredients 350g brown or black-eyed beans 2 Onions 3 cooking spoons palm oil or more 1 big stock cube Salt & Habanero pepper (to taste) Water Side Dish: Fried Plantains Before you cook Fried Beans I usually soak beans in cool water overnight. This greatly reduces beans bloating and upset stomach associated with eating beans. The next day, chop 1 onion into thin slices, cut the other one into 4 big chunks then pound/grind the pepper. Rinse the beans and put in a sizeable pot. I rinse it twice. Pre-cook the sliced onions with a few drops of water to soften them a bit. Cooking Directions Set the pot of beans on the stove. Add the stock cube (crushed) and the chunks of onion. Add enough water to cover the beans and start cooking. Cook the beans till very soft, adding water when necessary. Always keep water to the same level as the beans so that by the time the beans is done, there will not be too much water in the pot. Note: If you have a pressure cooker, use it to cook the beans till soft. I normally use my pressure cooker for beans but for this recipe, I prefer a normal pot so that I can have more control, especially towards the end. When the beans is done, add salt, leave to dry up all the water and transfer the beans to another container. Now, set a dry clean pot on the stove, pour the palm oil and heat it up till the oil melts (if congealed). Note that you should only heat it up, not bleach the oil. You will know it is hot enough when a piece of onion dropped into the oil sizzles. Add the precooked onions and stir for a bit. Add the ground Habanero pepper and stir till everything is heated up very well, at most 2 minutes. Add the beans and stir for about 2 minutes. Add salt if necessary. Cover and leave to simmer for about 2 minutes and it's done. Serve with the Fried Plantains, Soaked Garri or bread.
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Plantain Pies

Some time ago, 9jafoodie shared a recipe she prepared: Asun, served in cute Plantain Calabash. I made up my mind there and then that I must make those or something like it. And Plantain Pies were born. How to Make Plantain Pie [Video] Plantain Pie Ingredients For 12 Plantain Pies, you'll need: For the dough 1 over-ripe plantain 300g/10.5oz. plain flour (all purpose flour) 125g/4.4oz. butter (NOT margarine) 1 teaspoon baking powder (optional) ½ teaspoon salt For the filling Any food item that goes well with plantains (especially fried plantains) will make a great filling for Plantain Pies. That is why I called them Plantain Pies and not Yam Pies. So feel free to use beans porridge, egg omelette etc as your filling. 200g/7oz. white puna yam 2 eggs 1 onion A small piece of red pepper Salt (to taste) Tools you'll need to bake Plantain Pies 3.75-inch (9.5cm) cookie cutter 3-inch (7.5cm) cookie cutter Muffin tray with 12 cups Oven, sieve, spatula, brush, rolling pin etc More information about the ingredients Baking powder is optional because I made this pie with and without baking powder, I did not notice any difference in the taste and texture. Set some butter aside for greasing the muffin tray cups. Before you prepare Plantain Pie Peel and cook the yam till well done then set aside to cool down completely. Cut the onions and red pepper into small pieces. When the yam has cooled down, cut into small cubes. Directions The dough Peel the over ripe plantain and mash with a fork. Set aside. Sift half of the flour, the salt and the baking powder into a clean dry bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces. Add them to the flour and mix till the butter is incorporated into the flour. Add the mashed plantain. Mix with a spatula till as smooth as possible. You will notice that it is quite sticky. Start adding the second half of the flour in small quantities, mix with the plantain and flour dough, add more, mix ... till you get a non-sticky but soft ball of dough. If you do not achieve this with the quantity of flour I stated, add more flour till you get that. Ideally the quantity of flour you'll need depends on how overripe your plantain is. When you are happy, cover the ball of dough with aluminium foil and leave to rest for about 10 minutes. The Filling Break the eggs and beat very well. Add salt and stir. Add the pieces of boiled yam, red pepper and onions. Stir very well and set aside. It should look like this. Roll, Cut, Fill and Bake Grease the insides of the muffin tray cups with butter. When the dough has rested for about 10 minutes, knead it a few more times. Roll it out on a flat surface to a 3mm thickness. Cut the rolled out dough with the 3.75-inch cookie cutter and use the cut out dough to line the cups in the muffin tray. You can make several cuts at a time. Repeat the process till you have lined the 12 cups of the muffin tray. Scoop the filling into each of the cups. Leave some egg in the bowl; you'll need it for glazing the pies. Roll out the remaining dough and cut with the 3-inch cookie cutter. Use these to cover each of the filled cups. Using a brush, rub the top of the pies with the leftover egg from the filling. This gives the pie a golden brown look when done. Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes. Oven temperatures: Normal oven: 200C (400F) Fan Oven: 180C (350F) Gas mark number: 6 Serve with a chilled drink. These pies preserve well in the freezer and will still be fresh for up to 1 month. To use, bring out from the freezer, leave to defrost on your kitchen counter for a few hours. Warm it up in the microwave oven for about 2 minutes at medium heat. Perfect!
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Nigerian Corned Beef Stew

Corned Beef Stew is simply Nigerian Red Stew prepared with tiny pieces of corned beef instead of lumps of meat. You can also prepare it with minced beef if like me, you are not a huge fan of corned beef. Corned Beef Stew is most commonly used to eat boiled pasta (spaghetti, macaroni) but it goes really well with Boiled yam and Boiled Potatoes. My kids love it and it is a great way to get them to eat more meat. They usually abandon the lumps of meat in their foods. I prepare it with minced beef though. Ingredients for Nigerian Corned Beef Stew 700ml Tomato Stew 450g corned beef or minced beef 1 onion I teaspoon thyme 1 teaspoon curry powder (turmeric) 1 cooking spoon vegetable oil 1 big stock cube Pepper & salt (to taste) Important notes on the ingredients Tomato Stew is fresh tomato puree and the tinned tomato paste that has been boiled and fried to remove all traces of water and the sour/tangy taste of tomatoes. Please note that this stew does not contain spices or seasoning. It only contains tomato puree, then onions and vegetable oil that was used in frying it. If you do not like corned beef, use minced beef instead. Minced beef is simply ground beef and can be purchased from all major supermarkets in Nigeria. The curry powder mentioned here is not the hot and spicy curry powder rather much closer to turmeric. We call it curry powder in Nigeria. Before you cook Nigerian Corned Beef Stew If you already have Tomato Stew in your freezer, bring it out to defrost in good time before you need to use it in the recipe. If not, prepare some Tomato Stew by following the steps at: How to Prepare Tomato Stew. Remember to pour out the excess oil when done. I usually prepare large quantities of tomato stew and store in my freezer. That way, I can prepare such Nigerian recipes as Corned Beef Stew in no time. All I need to do is bring out the stew early enough to defrost and food is ready in 15 minutes. Bring out the corned beef from the tin and use a tablespoon to separate it into small pieces. Cut the onions into tiny pieces. Pound the pepper (if fresh) or grind if dry. Cooking Directions Start cooking the staple food you will serve with the stew: yam, rice, pasta or potatoes. Pour the vegetable oil into another (dry) pot. When the oil is heated, add the diced onions and fry for a bit. Add the corned beef or the minced beef and fry till the beef turns pale. Ensure you stir constantly so that the beef will not form lumps. Tiny pieces is the best.. Add the thyme and stock cubes. nigerian corned beef stew Add water to the same level as the contents of the pot and cook till the meat is done. This should take about 7 minutes on medium heat. Add pepper, curry powder, tomato stew and salt to taste. Stir very well, cover and leave to simmer and it's done! So so easy! Serve with the following staple food of your choice: Pasta, White Rice, Boiled yam and Boiled Potatoes.
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Mini Sausage Rolls with Kadiri Valerie

Mini Sausage Rolls are so easy to make because the filling is already prepared. And the dough is the same as that of Nigerian Meat Pie.

Mini Sausage Rolls [Video]

Ingredients

I got 25 Mini Sausage Rolls with the following ingredients:

For the dough

• 300g (10.5 oz) plain flour (all purpose flour)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 120g (5.3 oz) margarine
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Cold Water

Note: Butter can be used instead of margarine but it has the tendency to make the dough greasy which hinders the elasticity of the dough.

For the sausage filling:

• 500g sausage
• ½ teaspoon of ground nutmeg (optional)
• 1 small stock cube (optional)

For glazing:

• 1 egg
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Steamed Leafy Vegetables with Valerie Kadiri

In Nigeria, we steam leafy green vegetables and serve it with most Nigerian Rice recipes: Jollof Rice, Coconut Rice, Rice & Beans, Concoction Rice, White Rice & Stew (including Ofe Akwu). These steamed vegetables are also great with Fried Plantains and Nigerian Moi Moi.

How to Prepare Steamed Veggies [Video]

Ingredients

You only need these 4 ingredients.

• 300g or medium bunch green leafy vegetables. You can use any of the following:
• Green Amaranth
• Nigerian Pumpkin leaves (Ugu)
• Spinach
• 1 big onion
• 1 habanero pepper (atarodo)
• 1 small Knorr cube

Note

1. You do not need salt for this recipe. The steamed veggies garnish is well seasoned by the Knorr cube.

Cooking Directions

1. Wash and slice the vegetables, onion and pepper.
2. Set a clean dry pot on the stove and set the heat to medium.
3. Add the sliced onion and pepper.
4. Crush and spread the Knorr cube on the onion and pepper.
5. Add the sliced vegetables.
6. Cover the pot and steam for 3 minutes. This is so that the vegetables are not overcooked.
7. Stir very well and it is done.
   
   
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In Nigeria, we steam leafy green vegetables and serve it with most Nigerian Rice recipes: Jollof Rice, Coconut Rice, Rice & Beans, Concoction Rice, White Rice & Stew (including Ofe Akwu). These steamed vegetables are also great with Fried Plantains and Nigerian Moi Moi. - See more at: http://www.allnigerianrecipes.com/rice/accessories/steamed-veggies.html#sthash.YL67NsXO.dpuf

In Nigeria, we steam leafy green vegetables and serve it with most Nigerian Rice recipes: Jollof Rice, Coconut Rice, Rice & Beans, Concoction Rice, White Rice & Stew (including Ofe Akwu). These steamed vegetables are also great with Fried Plantains and Nigerian Moi Moi. - See more at: http://www.allnigerianrecipes.com/rice/accessories/steamed-veggies.html#sthash.YL67NsXO.dpuf

In Nigeria, we steam leafy green vegetables and serve it with most Nigerian Rice recipes: Jollof Rice, Coconut Rice, Rice & Beans, Concoction Rice, White Rice & Stew (including Ofe Akwu). These steamed vegetables are also great with Fried Plantains and Nigerian Moi Moi. - See more at: http://www.allnigerianrecipes.com/rice/accessories/steamed-veggies.html#sthash.YL67NsXO.dpuf

Coleslaw simply means cabbage salad. It is a blend of finely shredded cabbage, carrots and a few other crunchy vegetables. It is then generously dressed with mayonnaise and salad cream.
It is generally eaten as a side dish to such foods as Jollof Rice, Fried/Barbecued Chicken, Moi Moi and many other rice dishes.
Coleslaw is usually served chilled to allow the dressing settle into the vegetables.

Ingredients

• 1 small cabbage
• 1 small green bell pepper
• ½ tin of green peas
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 medium onion
• 5 tablespoons of salad cream (preferably Heinz Classic Salad Cream)
• 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• A pinch of salt

Preparation

All the vegetables need to be washed.

1. Cut the cabbage, green bell pepper and onions into very tiny pieces.
2. Scrape and shred the carrots using a grater, then use a knife to cut across the shreds to make the pieces even smaller.
3. Put the cabbage, green pepper, green peas, onions and carrots into a large bowl and stir till you get a good mix.
4. In a separate, smaller bowl, mix the salad cream, mayonnaise, sugar and salt.
5. Pour the cream mix into the bowl of vegetables and stir very well.
6. Chill and serve.

Note: If you prefer the coleslaw creamier, you can increase the quantity of the salad cream. Feel free to add a pinch of ground pepper if you like it spicy.

Coleslaw can be eaten alone or as a side dish to Jollof Rice, Coconut Rice, Fried Rice and other Nigerian rice dishes.
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How to Make Pounded Yam

Pounded Yam is one of the Nigerian fufu recipes that is eaten with the various Nigerian soup recipes. The most popular combinations are Pounded Yam with Egusi Soup, Pounded Yam with Nsala or White Soup and many more.

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Pounded Yam is the most stretchy of all the Nigerian fufu recipes that is if it is well prepared. It has the softness of semolina fufu hence it is not as hard as cassava fufu. Pounded Yam can be prepared by stirring yam flour in hot water but those who have eaten the one made from scratch with raw yams will tell you that the yam powder method does not do the pounded yam good justice.
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 To prepare pounded yam from scratch, you simply cook white yam and pound the yam pieces with a mortar and pestle when done. Sounds easy, doesn't it? Not really. There are a few tricks to making the perfect stretchy Pounded Yam from raw yams and it is better to see these than try to understand the written explanation. Watch the video below to learn how to make the perfect stretchy pounded yam so that your days of making mashed potatoes in the name of pounded yam will stop right here.

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How to cook Boiled Plantain with Valerie Kadiri

This is the easiest plantain recipe to prepare. If you are just home from work and you have either ripe or unripe plantain in your pantry and some palm oil, then in about 15 mins (depending on your stove's heating capacity), you have a quick meal on your table. This dish is usually eaten with pepper sauce. But if you do not have pepper, or will not be bothered with getting that prepared, the good old palm oil and salt will do.
Ingredients Ripe / Unripe Plantain – as many pieces as you can eat! Palm Oil Onions Hot Chilli Pepper Salt (Optional) Cooking Directions Wash the plantain and cut each fruit into two or three pieces depending on how big the fruits are. Put in a pot, add some water and set to cook. Meanwhile chop the onions and chilli pepper. Heat some oil (just enough heat to melt it). Pour in a plate and add the chopped onions and chilli pepper. Add salt to taste. Cook the plantain till done, add some salt to your taste and allow to simmer for a few more minutes. If using ripe plantains, be sure to watch the cooking closely because it will get done quicker than unripe plantains. The boiled plantain is ready to be served. Remember to remove the peels before eating! My NairaLand Account My Travel Blog My Yatedo Account

Plantain Moi Moi with Valerie Kadiri

Plantain Moi Moi (Ukpo Ogede) is one of the Nigerian plantain recipes prepared with overripe platains. Do not let the look of this meal deceive you! It is very delicious. Yes, it has this unique taste that your taste buds will love.
The proof of Plantain Moi Moi is truly in the eating! lol Ingredients 2 pcs of overripe plantain (Even if the skin is now black, as long as the inside is not decomposed) 100g plantain flour 1-2 cooking spoons palm oil 1 teaspoon ground crayfish 1 onion Pepper and Salt (to taste) 1 Knorr cube Cool water
Containers Uma leaves (Thaumatococcus Daniellii) Aluminium foil bags Bowls Before you cook Plantain Moi Moi Prepare the uma leaves for the Plantain Moi Moi using the method detailed at: How to prepare uma leaves for Moi Moi. Put the plantain flour in a bowl, add a small quantity of water and mix till you get a medium consistency. Wash, peel and cut the overripe plantain into small pieces. Grind the crayfish, cut the onions and pepper into small pieces. Cooking Directions Blend the overripe plantain pieces, plantain flour batter, onions, crayfish, pepper and stock cube with just enough water to allow the blades of the blender move. Pour the smooth blend into a sizeable bowl. Add salt and palm oil. Mix thoroughly till well combined. Set a small quantity of water in a pot to boil. When the water boils, place a base for the Plantain Moi Moi wraps into the pot. This can be scrap pieces of aluminium foil, a stainless steel stand or leaf stalks from the uma leaves. Scoop the mix into folded uma leaves, just as you would with beans Moi Moi. Gently place the wraps in the pot of boiling water and cook for 20-25 minutes. Add water along the way if necessary. Leave to cool down completely and set before serving. Serve with Custard, oat meal or akamu (corn starch meal). It can also be eaten with a chilled drink as a quick snack. My NairaLand Account My Travel Blog My Yatedo Account

Plantain Puffs with Valerie Kadiri

Plantain Mosa is overripe plantains mashed and mixed with other ingredients then deep-fried in vegetable oil. This version of Plantain Mosa is similar to Nigerian Puff Puff. Now, don't fret at the mention of Puff Puff because this is not as challenging as Puff Puff. ;)
See another version of Plantain Mosa (Plan-cakes) Plantain Mosa Ingredients The following ingredients give 16 medium balls of Plantain Mosa: 1 over-ripe plantain 3 heaped tablespoons plain flour (all purpose flour) 2 teaspoons fast action yeast 8 tablespoons warm water Habanero pepper (to taste) Salt (to taste) Vegetable oil (for frying)
More information about the ingredients The vegetable oil should be about 3 inches deep when poured into the pot. You can use cayenne pepper (fresh or dry) in the absence of Habanero pepper. The dry one needs to be ground into powder before use. Directions Mix the fast action yeast with the warm water making sure there are no lumps. Cover and set aside. Peel the overripe plantain and mash with a fork till a good blend is achieved. Set aside. Sift the plain flour and the salt into a sizeable bowl. Mix thoroughly. Add the yeast solution and stir till you get a medium consistency. If it is too thick, add a few more tablespoons of warm water and mix till you get a medium consistency. Add the mashed plantain. Mix with a spatula till well incorporated. Cover with aluminium foil. Leave in a warm place to rest for 10-15 minutes. After that time, you'll notice that it a bit fluffy. Beat the batter with a spoon then add the habanero pepper (cut into pieces). You can also use cayenne pepper. Heat some vegetable oil in a pot. The oil should be about 3 inches deep. The oil is hot enough when a small quantity of batter dropped into the oil sizzles and quickly comes to the surface of the oil. Scoop small amounts of the batter into the oil using your finger tips. Watch as they sizzle, come up to the suface of the oil and puff up. Stir constantly till golden. Reduce the heat if you think the plantain mosas are browning too quickly. This is to ensure that the inside is well cooked by the time the outside browns. When done, transfer to a paper-lined sieve to drain. That's it! Serve with a chilled drink.
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Vegetable Sauce Recipe

This tasty recipe, made from chopped salad vegetables<br> is a colourful way to enjoy a
wide range of staple foods with vegetables. Some people even call it Salad Stew. Eat
it with white rice, boiled yam , fried plantain or even mashed potatoes.

It is very rich in vitamins and nutrients. So there is no reason why you should not be
cooking this recipe as soon as possible.
I promise you'll not want to eat the Nigerian Red Stew ever again after eating this
vegetable sauce.
Ingredients
Whole Chicken
Vegetable Oil (2 cooking spoons)
5 Spring Onions
8 Fresh Plum Tomatoes (Jos Tomatoes)
8 medium Carrots
Cabbage (1 small bulb)
Potatoes (3 medium sized)
1 Red Bell Pepper (optional)
1 Green Bell Pepper
Salt - to taste
Seasoning – 3 big stock cubes, thyme
Before you cook the Vegetable Sauce
1. Wash and cut the vegetables : plum tomatoes (remember to remove the seeds),
carrots, cabbage and bell pepper as shown. Remember to scrape the carrots before
cutting. Set these aside.
2. Peel the Irish potatoes, wash and cut into small pieces. Blend into a thick paste and
set aside. This will be used as thickener for the Vegetable Sauce.
Cooking Directions
1. Wash and cut the whole chicken into pieces. Place in a pot, add chopped spring
onions, stock cubes and thyme. Add water to cover the contents of the pot and start
cooking.
2. When done, add salt to taste and top up the water to the same level as the contents
if necessary.
3. Once it boils, add the chopped tomatoes and the vegetable oil. Cover and cook for 15
minutes.
4. Add the carrots and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Now, add the potato puree, chopped bell peppers and cabbage. Stir, cover and allow
to cook for 5 minutes on high heat. Add salt to taste and the sauce is ready to be
served.
Note: Feel free to experiment by varying the thickness of the vegetable sauce. This
you can achieve by increasing or decreasing the amount of potato puree added till
you get a consistency that appeals to you.
Tip: The smoothest puree usually settles at the bottom so you may want to use only
that (if it is sufficient) and discard the frothy part at the top.
Serve with white rice, boiled yam , fried plantain or mashed potatoes.
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Roasted Yam

Roasted Yam is one of the most popular street foods in Nigeria. It is prepared with the white yam with a brown bark.
Other popular Nigerian street foods include: Nigerian Suya and Nigerian Roasted Plantains (Boli)
Ingredients
700g White Yam 1 medium onion A handful Ukpaka (Sliced oil bean seeds) 10cl palm oil 1 habanero pepper or to taste Salt (to taste)

Before you prepare the Roasted Yam
Peel and cut the yams into 1 inch thick pieces. Wash and soak the yam pieces in salted water overnight. Put it in the fridge so they do not ferment. This soaking helps keep the inside of the yam moist during roasting. If you want to roast the yams in the evening, you can soak them in the morning. Just before you roast the yams, cut the onions into tiny pieces. Roasting Directions
Pour out the water used in soaking the yam pieces. Add some salt and toss to distribute evenly. Place the yam pieces flat on the oven rack, set the oven to grill (broil) and roast at 150°C (300F) till the top side of the yams are light brown. Turn the yam pieces to roast the underside too till they are light brown all over. When the yams are almost done, you can increase the temperature to 180°C (350F) so that the outside of the yam pieces will be very crunchy.
There are many ways to go about it. You can roast one side for 10 minutes, turn and roast the other side for 10 minutes etc. I roasted mine for a total of 30 minutes, increasing the temperature when the yams are almost done. Your own time may vary depending on the type and heating capacity of your oven. They are done when the inside of the yams are moist and well done and the outside is light brown and crunchy. Make the Pepper Sauce While the yams are roasting in the oven, pound the pepper, diced onions and ukpaka in a mortar till a smooth blend is achieved. You can also use any food processor that will allow you blend ingredients without adding water. When smooth, transfer to a bowl and add salt and palm oil. Stir well and the pepper sauce is ready. Your roasted yam is ready! To eat, dip the pieces of roasted yam in the pepper sauce and chew. Wash it down with a cold drink.
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Nigerian Yam & Vegetable with Ukpaka (Ugba)

As the name states, this recipe is a basic yam and vegetable mix. The good thing is that this recipe lets you try a wide range of leafy vegetables which can go with the yam staple: green Amaranth, fluted pumpkin, water leaves, spinach etc.

Ingredients
Yam 1kg Leafy Vegetable - Spinach/Fluted pumpkin/Green Amaranth/Water Leaves Red palm Oil – to colour Okra – 4 fingers (optional) Ukpaka or Ugba: a handful (optional) Onions – 2 medium bulbs Chilli Pepper & Salt – to taste Seasoning: – 2 cubes of Maggi / Knorr
Before you cook Yam & Vegetable
Peel and cut the yam tuber into 2 inch cubes. Wash the yam cubes and place in a sizeable pot. Wash and cut the leafy vegetables, I used frozen spinach. Just leave to defrost a little bit and cut into small pieces. Then when fully defrosted, wring out the excess water. rinse the ukpaka and cut the onions and okra into tiny pieces. Grind / Blend the chilli pepper. Put all these in a separate pot and set aside. The okra only helps the vegetables stick together so it is optional and with the ukpaka, you can go the extra mile with this recipe :) Cooking Directions
Pour enough water to cover the yam cubes and cook till the cubes are soft and the water is a bit like porridge. Now, pour out the water from the pot, leaving the yam cubes in the pot. Cover the pot to retain the heat. Add some water from the yam (about 1 cooking spoon) to the pot containing the vegetables. Cook till the vegetable is softened by the heat. Be careful not to overcook the vegetable. Pour the cooked vegetables and other ingredients into the pot containing the yam cubes. Add the palm oil and salt to taste. Stir with a wooden spoon till all the ingredients have mixed well. The yam and vegetable is ready to be served. Serve on its own or with Fried Plantain
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Cook better with Valerie Kadiri

Valerie Kadiri teaches you how to become a better cook. In this series.

Everyone wants to become better in any skill they
have. Cooking is no exception. Even if you think you
are hopeless in the kitchen; like everything else,
practice and increasing your knowledge makes perfect. Just
relax and pretend that you are playing with the ingredients
and you will realize that cooking is not such a daunting
task. The following are All Nigerian Food Recipes' top 10
tips to becoming a better cook.
1. Add to what you know
Constantly increasing your knowledge of cooking is important because you already
know the basics of cooking and you are interested in improving your skills. Search
for recipes on the web and in cookery books, read them through even if it is a recipe
for a meal you think you have perfected. With Nigerian food recipes, and any other
world recipe, there are often many ways to cook a meal and achieve the same
results. So there's always something new to learn.
When you eat a familiar meal and you notice an improvement in the taste, it is good
to ask the cook what he/she did to achieve that.

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How to Season and Grill Chicken with Valerie Kadiri

Chicken is used a lot when preparing Nigerian recipes, especially the Rice recipes and stew recipes. Chicken can also be eaten as a snack and washed down with a chilled drink.
You want to season your chicken so that it will be very tasty and you also want to prepare it such that it will be presentable and appetizing. Seasoning chicken is very easy and you only need a few ingredients. Most often, people think that you have to add all the spices and stock cubes in the world to make the chicken tasty. But what all these excess seasoning does to the chicken is to take away the natural flavour of the chicken. To season chicken, you only need these major spices and
ingredients: Chicken - Hen (female chicken) is tougher and tastier than cockerel (male chicken) so when you go to buy chicken, ask your grocer or meat seller for the hen. This is called Gallina in Spanish. You should also buy a whole chicken and cut it up in pieces. Not only is it cheaper but you get the different parts of the chicken which adds to the flavour rather than just one part.
Onions - White, yellow or red onions. Onions are very important when seasoning chicken. Thyme - This is very essential due to the aroma it adds to the chicken. Stock cubes - Maggi or Knorr are the brands that bring out the best taste in Nigerian recipes. Salt - Use salt sparingly when seasoning your chicken. Salt should be added when the chicken is done. Never add salt to raw chicken, see notes below for more information on what adding salt too early does to your chicken or beef. You should also grill your chicken after cooking it rather than deep-fry it. If you have an oven, please grill your chicken because it is healthier. Grilling also makes the chicken taste better.
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Basmati Jollof with Valerie Kadiri

The Nigerian food recipe discussed here is the classic Nigerian Jollof Rice prepared at parties. This is the most popular Nigerian rice recipe. This is why you will always see it in parties. It is quite easy to prepare if you follow the simple steps. How to Cook Nigerian Jollof Rice [Video] The following are other variations of Jollof Rice: Coconut Rice Mixed Vegetable Jollof Rice Rice and Beans Ingredients 2 cigar cups | 500g (1.1 lbs) long grain white rice Tomato Stew 500 mls Chicken (whole chicken, drumsticks or chicken breast) Pepper and salt (to taste) 2 medium onions 3 Knorr cubes 2 teaspoons thyme Before you cook Jollof Rice Prepare the tomato stew. Visit the Tomato Stew page for details on how to do that. It is advisable to prepare tomato stew before hand and keep in the freezer. This is so that whenever you want to cook any jollof rice related dish, it is just a matter of adding it to your cooking. If you will use whole chicken then wash and cut it into pieces. Cook with the thyme, Knorr cubes and 2 bulbs of onions (chopped). The cooking time depends on the type of chicken. The rooster or cockerel cooks much faster than the hen but the hen is definitely tastier. When done, grill it in an oven. You may also fry it. This is to give it a golden look which is more presentable especially if you have guests for dinner. Parboil the rice using the method detailed in parboiling rice for cooking jollof rice. Wash the parboiled rice and put in a sieve to drain. Cooking Directions Pour the chicken stock and the tomato stew into a sizeable pot and leave to boil. Add the drained parboiled rice, salt and pepper to taste. The water level should be the same level of the rice. This is to ensure that all the water dries up by the time the rice is cooked. Cover the pot and leave to cook on low to medium heat. This way the rice does not burn before the water dries up. If you parboiled the rice as described at parboiling rice for cooking jollof rice, the rice should be done by the time the water is dry. Taste to confirm. If not, you will need to add more water and reduce the heat to prevent burning. Keep cooking till done. Serve with fried plantain, Moi Moi, Nigerian salad or coleslaw. You can spice up this recipe by adding 2 well known vegetables to arrive at what we refer to as Mixed Vegetables Jollof Rice. My Tumblr Account My Twitter Account My Blog Page

How to make Semolina with Valerie Kadiri

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Home >> Fufu Recipes >> Semolina Fufu Recipe
How to Make Semolina Fufu
emolina is produced by milling semolina grains into powder. In Nigeria,
Semolina flour is used to prepare the Semolina fufu which is eaten with the
various Nigerian soup recipes . The Semolina fufu recipe is simply prepared by
mixing the semolina flour in hot wate

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Cut leafy vegetables faster with Valerie Kadiri

I always say that cooking should be fun not hard labour. Here’s one of the ways to
save some time in the kitchen.
We are taught to arrange leafy vegetables before slicing them. I call that the prim and
proper way where one spends lots of time arranging the vegetables. I don’t even
want to think about arranging and cutting those vegetables on a day I will cook
Nigerian Vegetable Soup (Edikang Ikong).
With the method detailed below, you are done in no time.
Please note that when you want to slice the vegetables for use as garnish for Nkwobi,
Isi Ewu or Abacha, you will need to arrange the vegetables. The good thing is that in
those instances, it’s not too much work because we usually need a small quantity of
vegetables for garnish.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Pick the vegetables from the stalk.
2. Wash them in plenty of cool water. Add salt to the water if you wish.
3. Place the vegetables in a sieve to drain.
4. To slice, deep your finger tips into the vegetables in the sieve and grab as many
leaves as you can comfortably hold in your hand.
5. Place the leaves on a chopping board and cut them in half with a sharp knife.
6. While holding one half of the vegetables in one hand, use your other hand to tuck the
other half under the one you are holding.
7. Using the perfect straight edge of vegetables as reference, slice the rest of the
vegetables normally.
valeriekadiri.blog.com

https://twitter.com/ ValerieKadiri

Cut leafy vegetables faster with Valerie Kadiri

I always say that cooking should be fun not hard labour. Here’s one of the ways to
save some time in the kitchen.
We are taught to arrange leafy vegetables before slicing them. I call that the prim and
proper way where one spends lots of time arranging the vegetables. I don’t even
want to think about arranging and cutting those vegetables on a day I will cook
Nigerian Vegetable Soup (Edikang Ikong).
With the method detailed below, you are done in no time.
Please note that when you want to slice the vegetables for use as garnish for Nkwobi,
Isi Ewu or Abacha, you will need to arrange the vegetables. The good thing is that in
those instances, it’s not too much work because we usually need a small quantity of
vegetables for garnish.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Pick the vegetables from the stalk.
2. Wash them in plenty of cool water. Add salt to the water if you wish.
3. Place the vegetables in a sieve to drain.
4. To slice, deep your finger tips into the vegetables in the sieve and grab as many
leaves as you can comfortably hold in your hand.
5. Place the leaves on a chopping board and cut them in half with a sharp knife.
6. While holding one half of the vegetables in one hand, use your other hand to tuck the
other half under the one you are holding.
7. Using the perfect straight edge of vegetables as reference, slice the rest of the
vegetables normally.
valeriekadiri.blog.com

https://twitter.com/ ValerieKadiri