native jollof rice and peppered goat meat
One taste of this native jollof rice and you’ll forget all your steeze and just keep asking for more. Let’s get right into it!
native jollof rice and peppered goat meat
Why fight over who makes the best jollof when this native version will have everyone saying, “Na this one sure pass”. You know say this jollof get levels when even the party jollof dey bow in respect!
One taste of this native jollof rice and you’ll forget all your steeze and just keep asking for more. Let’s go!
What you’ll need
Rice: I used regular parboiled rice for this recipe, you can also use basmati rice but you will have to adjust the water and cooking time.
Goat meat: I love goat meat for my native jollof rice, you can use any meat of your choice. Cook until tender for best results.
Dried smoked catfish: This adds a deep, smokey flavor to the jollof and enhancing its traditional taste. Smoked mackerel, or any other dried fish can be used as an alternative.
Palm oil: Palm oil is essential for that authentic native taste, red color and distinct flavor. You can substitute with vegetable oil but you will not get the original flavor of this recipe.
Dried prawns: I used dried prawns for this dish but you can also substitute with dried shrimps if you can’t find dried prawns. Also remember to thoroughly wash your dried prawns as they can have lots of sand and dirt.
Vegetable: the vegetable gives it a vibrant color and adds a fresh note to the dish. Feel free to use any leafy green of choice, green leaf, ugwu, spinach, kale or scent leaf works great.
Peppers: You’ll need tatashe (bell pepper) and atarodo (scotch bonnet pepper). If using tatashe, remove the seeds and veins, as they can be bitter when cooked. You can substitute atarodo with habanero, bird’s eye chili, or shombo. Feel free to adjust the amount of pepper or omit it entirely to suit your taste.
Spices: You’ll need salt, a bouillon cube, crayfish, and iru (fermented locust beans). Iru adds a rich, unique depth of flavor to native Jollof. It’s commonly found in Nigerian markets and African/Nigerian stores abroad.
How to make native jollof(palm oil rice)
Prepare the stock
Start by seasoning the goat meat properly with chopped onions, bouillon cubes, and salt. Add a little water, give it a good mix, cover, and allow it to steam on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until the meat is tender. Add more water if necessary.
(Strain the goat meat stock to remove any bones that may be in the stock).
Cook the rice
Add washed rice to the meat stock along with salt and more water. Give it a good mix, cover, and allow to cook for 20-25 minutes. Once cooked, fluff the rice to release the steam and set aside.
Pepper the pepper and vegetables
Roughly blend the peppers and onions in a chopper, food processor, or blender, and set aside. Next wash your vegetables, strain and cut into desired size and set aside.
Prepare the dried fish and prawns
Soak the smoked catfish in hot water for 20 minutes, making sure it is fully submerged.
In a separate bowl, add the dried prawns and carefully wash them with hot water. Drain the water from the prawns and set aside. Do not leave the prawns to soak for too long or they will become soggy.
Discard the hot water from the catfish and debone thoroughly. If the fish is still hard, soak it in hot water for an additional 10-20 minutes or until the fish is soft.
Make the native jollof base
In a wide pan, heat up some red palm oil on medium heat and add onions, iru, and crayfish powder. Fry for 2-3 minutes until the onions are soft or translucent. Add in half of the pepper mix and stir until well combined, then season with salt and bouillon cubes. Fry the pepper mix for 5-10 minutes or until it darkens slightly, stirring occasionally.
Add the deboned catfish and prawns, and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Cover and allow to cook for 5 minutes on low-medium heat.
Add the cooked rice and mix until well combined. Stir-fry for 5 minutes to ensure it is well toasted. Add the sliced vegetables and give it a good mix.
Peppered Goat Meat
In a large pan, heat up some oil on medium heat and add the goat meat. Fry until crispy and transfer to a paper towel to drain excess oil.
Reduce the oil in the pan and fry the other half of the pepper mix (add extra peppers if you want the peppered meat extra spicy). Add salt, onion powder, and a beef bouillon cube. Mix and allow it to fry for 3-4 minutes, then add the fried goat meat and mix until well combined. Add a little water, cover, and allow to steam for 5 minutes.
Serve hot and enjoy!
Tips for best native jollof
- Debone fish properly: For a more enjoy bite take the time to thoroughly debone the smoked fish, especially catfish, as even small bones can disrupt the eating experience.
- Use well smoked dried catfish: If fish is not well dried it tends to have an off taste or grow mold which can affect the overall outcome of the dish.
- Use a wide pot to stir fry: A wide pot allows better circulation for stir-frying, helping each grain of rice get coated in sauce and heat evenly.
- Add Veggies at the End: The sliced vegetables bring freshness and a little crunch. Add them right at the end to avoid overcooking.
- Strain Goat Meat Stock for a Smooth Texture: Once the goat meat stock is ready, strain it thoroughly to keep the rice smooth and prevent any unexpected broken bone bits.
- Fry the Rice to Get the Toasted Jollof Flavor: Once the rice is added, stir-fry it in the pepper sauce to give it that classic “party rice” flavor.
- Use fresh oil: the quality or the red oil can either make or break your dish. If the oil isn’t fresh enough, please don’t use it. To determine if the oil is fresh.
How to know your if your palm oil is Fresh
Color: Fresh palm oil typically has a deep orange or reddish color. If the oil looks dark brown or has lost its vibrancy, it may be old or past prime
Smell test: Fresh palm oil has a mild, nutty aroma. If it smells sour, rancid, or has an unusually strong odor, it may have gone bad.
Consistency: Fresh palm oil has a smooth, slightly thick texture. If it seems overly thick or clumpy, or has particles floating in it, it’s no longer fresh.
Taste test: Taste a small drop if you’re unsure fresh palm oil should taste slightly nutty and earthy, not bitter or sour.
watch how to make it
Ingredients
For the meats:
- 2 kg goat meat
- ½ small onion
- 1 knorr beef seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
To cook the rice:
- 4 cups washed riced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup meat stock
- 2 cup water
For the pepper mix:
- 3 Bell peppers
- 4-5 Scotch bonnet pepper as much as you can handle.
- 1 small onion
Pepper sauce:
- Oil for frying
- ½ cup pepper mix bell pepper, atarodo and onion
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ teaspoons onion powder
- ¼ teaspoons beef seasoning
For the rice:
- 2 medium dried smoked catfish
- ½ cup dried prawns
- ¼ cup palm oil
- ¼ cup iru
- 2 tablespoons crayfish
- ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoons beer Knorr bouillon cube
- ½ bunch of Kale
Instructions
- Season the cleaned goat meat chunks with chopped onions, bouillon cubes, and salt.
- Add a little water and mix well. Cover and steam on low heat for 15-20 minutes or until the meat is tender.
- Add more water if needed. Strain the goat meat stock to remove any bones.
- Add the washed rice to the goat meat stock.
- Add salt and more water as needed. Mix well, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes until the rice is tender.
- Once cooked, fluff the rice with a fork to release steam, then set aside.
- Prepare the pepper mix by roughly blending peppers and onions using a chopper, food processor, or blender. Set aside.
- Soak the smoked catfish in hot water for 20 minutes, ensuring it is fully submerged.
- In a separate bowl, wash the dried prawns with hot water, then drain and set aside.
- Discard the hot water from the catfish, debone thoroughly, and if still hard, soak in hot water for an additional 10-20 minutes or until soft.
- Heat up some red palm oil in a wide pan over medium heat.
- Add chopped onions, iru, and crayfish powder. Fry for 2-3 minutes until the onions are soft.
- Add half of the prepared pepper mix and stir well. Season with salt and bouillon cubes.
- Fry the pepper mix for 5-10 minutes or until it darkens slightly, stirring occasionally.
- Add the deboned catfish and prawns, then stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.
- Cover and cook for 5 minutes on low-medium heat.
- Add the cooked rice and mix until well combined. Stir-fry for 5 minutes to toast the rice.
- Add sliced vegetables and mix thoroughly once mixed, set aside.
- In a large pan, heat up some oil over medium heat. Add the goat meat and fry until crispy.
- Transfer the fried meat to a paper towel to drain excess oil.
- Reduce the oil in the pan, then add the remaining pepper mix. Add extra peppers if you want it extra spicy.
- Season with salt, onion powder, and a beef bouillon cube. Mix and fry for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the fried goat meat to the pepper mix and stir until well combined. Add a little water, cover, and steam for 5 minutes.
- Serve:
- Enjoy your native jollof rice with a side of spicy peppered goat meat!
Notes
- Ensure you strain the goat meat stock to remove any bone fragments from the stock. Properly debone catfish to avoid accident when eating. Add vegetables last to ensure they keep their crunch.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag, mention or DM @kikifoodies. I would love to hear from you!
Perfect is not even the right word to use to describe this recipe.
I think this is great but it will be kind of you to add the recommend pot for each dish. Of just recommend the one you use just like that if the jollof rice.
Thanks for sharing this recipes
ezcc65