How to Make Nigerian Fried Rice

Fried rice prepared by the author

Growing up, I wasn’t a fan of fried rice. I wasn’t exactly a fan of many foods, to be honest. But fried rice? That was at the top of the list of foods I hated. Right up there with all the healthy foods I was supposed to be eating. And I couldn’t understand why I loathed something everyone seemed to love.

It was not until some years later that I figured out what the problem was. I had been eating “boiled rice” all the while. For some reason, the recipe we made at our house involved boiling the vegetables and mixing them with the rice.

And don’t ask me how we came about that recipe. Only God knows.

When I later discovered the right way to make Nigerian fried rice, I fell head over heels in love with the dish. That’s the recipe I’ll be sharing here. Try it and see if you like it as much as I do.

So, let’s get started!

To make Nigerian fried rice for about 6 people, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Ingredients

• 3 cups long-grain rice
• 4 cups chicken stock
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup diced liver/prawns (cooked)
• Mixed veggies [200g green beans (sliced), 6 medium carrots (diced), 1 large bell pepper (diced)]
• 12 green bird’s eye chilies
• 1 medium-sized leek (sliced)
• 1 medium-sized onion
• ½ tbsp minced ginger & garlic
• 1 tbsp mild curry powder
• 3 Seasoning cubes
• Salt — to taste

⏰Prep time: 25 mins | 🍲Cooking time: 55 mins

Another plate of fried rice prepared by the author, this time with fried turkey

Procedure

1. Use a blender to blend the green chilies with a little water, then set aside.
2. Put the rice in a bowl and pour boiling water over it — the water level should be about an inch above the rice. Cover the bowl with a lid and let it soak for 5 minutes. Drain the rice and rinse it until the water is clear. Set it aside on a sieve.
3. Heat the oil in a large nonstick pan, add the ginger and garlic, followed by the chopped onions; fry on medium heat for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the liver/prawns, carrot, bell pepper, green beans, thyme, and one seasoning cube to the pan. Cook for 8–10 mins or until the moisture from the vegetables dries up. Remove the liver/prawns and vegetables from the oil and set aside.
5. While the oil is still on the burner, sprinkle in the curry powder, then add the rice gradually, stirring continuously to ensure the rice is fully coated with the curry powder (the rice should be uniformly yellow in color). Fry for 5 mins, stirring frequently to prevent the rice from burning. Remove the rice from the heat and set aside.
6. In a large pot, bring the stock to a boil. Add the rice, blended chilies, two seasoning cubes, and salt (taste as you add to avoid over-seasoning). Then stir gently with a wooden spoon, cover the pot, and cook until the liquid has evaporated (about 20–25 minutes).
7. Add the fried veggies to the rice and mix. Pour the sliced leek over the rice and turn off the heat; cover the pot and let it sit for 5 mins.
8. Remove the lid, stir properly, and serve!

And there you have it, a foolproof way to make delicious fried rice, every time. Try it and let me know what you think.