Maraman’s Ivorian Fried Rice(Le riz gras)
So I am on this group on facebook called “So you think you can cook.” And I got this inspiration from there. Atim, also a food blogger with Afrolems.com had posted an Ivorian dish called “Kedjenou” on the group. Coincidentally, I was spending some time with Maraman my Ivorian friend and we were discussing food and she said “Nma you have to learn how to make my country’s fried rice.” I had been wanting to learn how to make this rice, which is also known as Le riz gras(thank you Immaculate for the research) and with Atim’s dish(which I tried…yummy by the way), I knew I had to learn how to cook this rice. It felt so good learning how to make a delicacy from another country and actually creating it. This is what my research with “Dine Africa” is about. Africa as a continent is filled with different cultures and different types of food. Another funny thing about African cooking is; one dish can have so many ways of making it hence the “freshness” of each recipe. According to google, in my country Nigeria alone, there are about 527 languages, so you can imagine how many translations to each recipe we have and how much there is to learn about food and African cooking. Continue reading →
My Nigerian MeatPie
I am one person who does not bake. I don’t like kitchen wahala at all. My mother as a retired chef always tells me that a chef must bake at least one pastry or cake. Apart from my unconventional rum cake, I decided to try my hands on the Nigerian meat pie. I went researching using some Nigerian food blogs on how to make this particular type of pie and I really could not relate or understand some recipes and why they looked so similar yet different. So I said to myself “abeg do your own.” Continue reading →
Savory, Peppered Gizzards
I can swear I tried to write this post and saved it as a draft only for me not to be able to find it. I shall blame it on mommy brain 
I have always liked gizzards. I like them fried, grilled, steamed, and any other way they can be made.
I have also tried making peppered gizzards in the past, but for some reason I could not get it right until today and in one of my favorite kitchen terms, Eureka!
This dish is also a starter dish as well as a side. I served mine with my turmeric coconut rice.
savory peppered gizzards.
- I Lb of chicken gizzards
- 1 ata-rodo
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1tbsp dry red pepper
- 2plum tomatoes
- Garlic chopped
- Ginger(shaved into 1 tsp)
- I ½ medium sized onions
- 2cooking spoons of oil
- 2 cups of oil for frying(frying is optional)
- Thyme to taste
- salt to taste
- Knorr…2packets(optional)
- Meat stock(chicken stock is preferable, but any other stock works) or water
- Wash, blend, and set aside the tomatoes, half of an onion, ata-rodo, and bell pepper(use as little water as possible)
- Wash gizzards (remove the green parts and fats) into a pot and pre boil(I always pre boil offals to remove the excess blood and impurities)
- After preboiling and washing, season with salt, dry pepper, Knorr, thyme, curry, and onion wedges
- When meat is soft, drain it from the stock and remove onion wedges
- Fry gizzards in oil or grill in oven(I used the grilling option as it is more health conscious and to prevent nasty oil burns). Do not worry if the gizzards are slightly tough from frying or grilling. It is all in the process
- In a wok or sauce pan, heat two cooking spoons of cooking oil
- Fry onion until translucent.
- Add garlic and ginger until fragrant
- Add the tomato blend and fry until the oil floats to the top
- Season with salt and stir in your gizzards
- Pour in some meat stock to loosen the sauce a little bit, but to not over loosen
- Check for seasonings and season with Knorr if needed(I did not need to use anymore seasonings, as I used a well seasoned meat stock)
- Stir and let the gizzards and sauce combine
- Once the gizzards have absorbed the sauce and it’s juices, and the oil has floated to the top, stir in some onions and set aside
- Let the gizzard rest before serving as a side or starter
Tumeric Coconut Rice
So it was Valentine’s day and I got the fabulous news that my website was ready. It worked out! I was in awe and speechless because after a while of wondering and wishing, I had my website. Then came the nervous feeling of “what do I make or blog about to debut?” Anyway, I decided to make lunch and viola!!!
I was never the kid who liked coconut rice. Firstly, I did not understand the coconut and rice idea and secondly, I had to convince myself that I did not like it because I did not like chores. Especially as the little one in my household, I did not like helping to extract the coconut milk from the coconut. So when I heard there as such thing as the coconut milk I went for it and boy was I pleased!
My debut blog. Let us get right to it!
Tumeric Coconut Rice
- Rice..about 2cups
- meat stock..about 3 cups
- salt..about 1teaspoon
- onion…about a handfull
- knorr (optional)
- Tumeric powder or root…about a teaspoon
- crayfish… (about a tsp)(optional)
- Diced carrots…2healthy roots
- Ata-Rodo…1(blended)
- Coconut milk…one can (shake well before use)
- Cooking oil…about a tbsp
- Garlic…one clove
- Ginger…one tsp
- Nut meg…one tsp
- Wash rice with cold to warm water until water runs clear.
- Heat a pot with a tbsp of cooking oil.
- Fry onion until transluscent.
- Add carrots and stir fry for 1minute.
- Add rice, stir fry until each grain is coated with the oil.
- Add tumeric, garlic, and ginger, and coat rice as well.
- Then pour in your coconut milk and top with meat stock to cook rice.
- Check for seasonings and add salt.
- Add knorr if needed.
- Add ata-rodo.
- Bring pot to a boil
- Cover and reduce heat
- Allow rice to absorb water and cook until aldente.
- Sprinkle crayfish into cooked rice if using any.
- Grate in nutmeg.
- Check for seasonings.
- Let rice rest before serving.
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