Nigerian cookery and Nigerian cuisine are a delicious entanglement on your tastebuds. If you have never had the joy of trying freshly marinated Asun or the heat of deep-fried plantain in your mouth, you are missing out!
Nigerian dishes are now becoming recognized worldwide, with some culinary experts believing that West African cooking to be the next big food trend. The first Nigerian restaurant to be awarded a Michelin star was in 2018 at the Ikoyi in London. West African cooking is now firmly on the map and ready to appeal to the mainstream.
The combination of plant-based proteins, spices, and pulses also means that Nigeria dishes can also be healthy and fit well into a balanced diet.
So if you are interested in learning more about popular Nigerian dishes and how to cook them, look no further. We have everything in this article right here to satisfy a variety of different palates and dietary requirements.
Jollof Rice
You cannot mention Nigerian cooking without first discussing the brilliance of Jollof Rice. It’s incredibly popular across the whole of Nigeria and is often thought of as one of the staple national dishes.
There are variations across different regions but the main ingredients are long-grain rice, onions, spices, vegetables, meat, and tomatoes all simmered together in one pot. Nigerian versions of Jollof usually contain peppers and spices such as thyme, curry, nutmeg, cloves, and scotch bonnets.
It’s simply a case of frying the onions, peppers, and spices, then adding the rice and water and simmering for 20 minutes until the rice is cooked.
Jollof rice can be the base ingredient for any hearty lunch or dinner and conjures up feelings of warmth and home. You can add chicken or fish on the side or even just serve with beans or lentils.
There are even versions of Jollof such as coconut jollof rice or fisherman’s Jollof which contain crayfish and prawns.
Garri
Garri is another crowdpleaser in Nigeria and is eaten almost in every household. It’s a flour that is made from the tuberous roots of the cassava plant and is used in Nigerian dishes such as Okro soup, Banga soup, and Afang soup.
First of all, the Garri is peeled from the tubers, mashed, and pressed for up to 3 hours to create a fine flour powder. However, you can get the Garri flour premade to save time and energy.
The Garri is then mixed with water to make a stiff dough which is used as a base for many of the Nigerian dishes. The great thing about Garri is that it’s completely gluten-free so is a great substitute or meal replacement for those that suffer from gluten intolerances or want to cut down on gluten products.
Asun
Asun is a dish for those that enjoy unique flavour combinations and levels of complex spicing. It usually consists of goat meat marinated in a spicy pepper sauce, however, if you cant source goat then pork or beef will suffice. Check out your local farms or butchers to see the kind of meats that they have on offer.
Slow cooking the meat will break down any fatty or tough sinew meaning that you’re left with a tender melt in the mouth meat that is too good to resist. Marinade your chosen meat in pepper, salt, garlic, oregano, olive oil, and curry powder and leave in the fridge overnight to marinate.
Choose your peppers such as a green bell or red and then which chillis such as habanero or scotch bonnet. Remember to choose based on how hot you want your sauce! Fry these in a pan with garlic, olive oil, and onion for 5 minutes then add paprika, bouillon powder, black pepper, and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Add your chopped meat to a preheated oven of about 350 degrees for an hour. There’s no need to add oil if you are cooking with goat as it cooks nicely in its own juices.
After that, combine the meat and pepper sauce on the hob in a large pan and simmer for 5 minutes. This should give you the tastiest Asun around!
Fried Plantain
Plantain is a Nigerian dish that is well renowned and loved in many forms across the whole of the country. It’s sweet and soft and delicious straight from the frying pan or off the grill.
Plantain is perfect for a snack on its own but can also be used as a side dish with rice or beans. It can also be a great accompaniment to eggs as an alternative breakfast dish.
With making plantain, first cut an incision into the skin across the length of it and peel to remove the flesh. Chop into 1-inch chunks and season with cayenne pepper and a pinch of salt. Rub the mixture into the plantain but be careful not to overwork the plantain as it can easily smush with too rough handling.
Next you will need a large enough pan for shallow frying and heat up 4mm of oil in the pan and put on the hob at a medium to high temperature. To test whether the oil is hot enough, pop in one of your plantain disks and see if it sizzles.
Fry the plantain disks in batches, with 3 to 4 minutes on each side so it turns a lovely golden brown. Use a spatula to turn your plantain and be careful not to disturn or splash the oil too vigorously. After the plantain is cooked, place on a paper towel to soak up the excess oil and eat whilst they are hot!
Where Can I Learn More About Nigerian Dishes?
We hope this article has given you a quick whistlestop tour on how diverse and varied Nigerian dishes and cookery can be. However, we have barely scratched the surface, there are plenty of other culinary triumphs such as pounded yam, pepper soup and Efo Riro.
If you would like any more information on how to create the tastiest Nigerian food contact us directly. Our ethos is to provide affordable and incredibly tasting foods that you can’t get elsewhere.
This is in tandem with our non-profit organization SAAK that ensures skills training, employment and consistent income to women in Africa who can then support and provide a better life for their families. Please find more information about our initiative and objectives right here.
