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Passport & Plate - Jollof Beans and Rice with Seafood Stir-fry

Nigeria | Friday, March 6, 2015 | 5 photos

Ingredients
• 500 grams of long-grain rice
• 250 grams of black-eyed brown beans
• 6 tablespoonful of tomato puree
• 2 tablespoonful of ground red pepper
• 100ml of vegetable oil
• 200ml of chicken stock
• 1 small onion (sliced)
• 1 teaspoonful of salt
• 1 teaspoonful of ground crayfish
• 1 stock cube (preferably chicken flavour)
• 1 can of sardines
• 1 cup of boiled periwinkles (chopped snails as an alternative)
• 2 small Irish potatoes
• A handful of parsley
• 1 small ripe plantain

 

How to prepare this recipe
• Boil the beans with half of the sliced onions till it is tender, drain off excess water and set aside
• Parboil the rice and set aside too
• Mix the tomato puree and ground red pepper in a bowl , add some water to make a smooth paste
• Heat the oil in a pot, sizzle the other half of the sliced onions in it (for 5 minutes), add the tomato-pepper paste and simmer (for another 5 minutes)
• Pour the chicken stock into the simmering stew and season with salt, ground crayfish and stock cube
• Add the beans, parboiled rice and water to reach the level of the mixture and steam till the content dries up
• Decant the oil in the can of sardines into a wok and add the grated potato
• Add the shredded parsley leaves and stir-fry with the periwinkles and sardines (under high heat for 3 minutes)
• Peel the plantain, dice it and deep fry in vegetable oil for 5 minutes

 

The story behind this recipe
In many Nigerian homes and schools, it’s always a never-ending battle to get youngsters to eat beans. Whilst millennials especially children prefer rice to beans, their parents and guardians would generally opt for beans in lieu of rice because of its high protein content which is essential for fighting malnutrition, a common paediatric health challenge in Sub-Saharan Africa. These days, children love to have a say in what comes out of the kitchen. Yet parents seem to know what’s best for their growing body. Thus, combining both staples in one dish is akin to serving two ‘masters’ at once. On a trip abroad, my Kenyan host mentioned the absence of greens on the menu of Nigerian restaurants—recounting details of how she couldn’t get waiters to serve vegetables as side dishes with her meals in Lagos. Hence, I have included a veggie side to my meal. It is noteworthy to say that with every foreign fast-food franchise, Nigerians are now consuming more sugar, salt and fat. Over the same period, I’ve watched—at first with much optimism—the entry of fast food chains into the Nigerian market but later with as much regret, the horrors of obesity within our middle-class population. After my father had an open-heart surgery in America, I was nudged into the realities of the burdens of bulging bellies on society. I want to effect changes in the eating culture by serving age-old but healthy recipes with a modern twist. Eventually, my plan is to create value chains that prepare made-to-order vegetable soups and sides with wholesome staples that can be picked up or delivered. As Africa urbanises, I hope my eateries will become a one-stop shop for locals who in their journeys from home to work and back are striving to grow our economies using energy derived from highly nutritive meal choices.