If you love your rice rich with local flavours, this native jollof rice and peppered beef recipe deserves a spot on your menu. Made with palm oil, iru, crayfish, smoked catfish and dried prawns, this dish brings together the bold, savoury flavours that make Nigerian cooking so special. Served with spicy peppered beef, it is the kind of meal that keeps you coming back for another plate.
What You’ll Need
For the meat, you’ll need 2kg of goat meat, half a small onion, one Knorr beef seasoning cube, a teaspoon of salt and a cup of water. You’ll also need two medium dried smoked catfish and half a cup of dried prawns. For the rice, prepare four cups of washed rice, one teaspoon of salt, one cup of meat stock and two cups of water.
For the pepper mix, blend three bell peppers, four to five Scotch bonnet peppers, depending on your heat preference, and one small onion. The rice base requires a quarter cup of palm oil, a quarter cup of iru, two tablespoons of crayfish, half a teaspoon each of salt and beef seasoning, and half a bunch of kale. For the pepper sauce, set aside oil for frying, half a cup of pepper mix, a pinch of salt, a quarter teaspoon of onion powder and a quarter teaspoon of beef seasoning.
How to Make It
Start by seasoning the goat meat with the onion, Knorr beef seasoning, salt and water. Cook until tender, reserving the stock for the rice. Boil the washed rice with the salt, meat stock and water until partially cooked, then set aside. Soak and clean the smoked catfish, and prepare the dried prawns.
Heat the palm oil in a pot and add the iru, allowing it to release its aroma. Stir in the blended pepper mix, crayfish, smoked catfish and dried prawns. Season with salt and beef seasoning, then add the partially cooked rice and mix thoroughly so the grains absorb all that flavour. Cover and cook until the rice is tender, adding a little water if necessary. Finish with chopped kale and stir until evenly combined.
For the peppered beef, fry the cooked goat meat until golden. In a separate pan, heat a little oil, add the half cup of pepper mix, and season with salt, onion powder and beef seasoning. Fry until the mixture thickens and the flavours come together, then toss in the fried goat meat until well coated.
Serve the native jollof rice hot with the peppered beef on the side. The combination of smoky seafood, earthy iru, rich palm oil and fiery pepper sauce makes this a proper Nigerian feast.