Palm oil jollof rice recipe is a very spicy rice cooked with red palm oil, it is very easy and quick to prepare. Palm oil rice (Native jollof rice) rice is a native staple in many Nigerian homes. Palm oil jollof rice recipe is almost similar to the popular Nigerian jollof rice made with vegetable oil. This delicious vibrant orange looking rice meal is usually cooked with some native ingredients (crayfish, dried or smoked fish) and then garnished with scent leaves (Basil). Palm oil jollof rice is sometimes refers to as concoction rice, native jollof rice, mtn rice or red oil rice. However, palm oil jollof rice is usually called Iwuk Edesi by the Efik people and Iresi elepo by the Deltan. The difference between this native or concoction rice and the almighty jollof rice is that, jollof rice is usually cooked with a mixture of tomato and pepper puree, while the native jollof rice is cooked with just palm oil and pepper puree as its base.
However, some specific leafy vegetables are required for the preparation of this native rice, these include the scented basil leaves or the Nigerian pumpkin leaves (Ugwu leaves), but other vegetables like spinach could be added as well. A typical Efik palm oil rice dish (Iwuk Edesi) is a one-pot meal; all the ingredients are added from the start before placing it on heat and it must be prepared with crayfish, smoked fish and scent leaf without these, the native rice is incomplete.
Palm oil is the number one ingredients in this native jollof rice, it gives the rice a vibrant orange colour, this oil is very healthy, it doesnt contain any cholesterol as opined by many. Palm oil has a distinctive smoky earthy flavour and because it is plant-based oil, it has good unsaturated fat and it is healthy for making soups like Edikaikong soup, Afangsoup and porridges such as yam and beans and plantain porridge.
There are different ways to prepare palm oil jollof rice recipe, you can choose to prepare this delicious meal with dried fish, smoked fish, ganda (soft cow hide kpomo) or with fresh prawns. Another way to prepare palm oil jollof rice is to cook it together with beans; this is also a great combination, it can also be made together with Irish potatoes, see how to make palm oil rice with potatoes and it can be made with sweet potatoes as well. Any type of rice such as brown rice (local rice) basmati rice or long grainrice can be used to prepare palm oil jollof rice or the native rice. The best way to enjoy this rice recipe is to pay it with ripe avocado or ripe bananas.
The Efiks prepare their native jollof rice by simply adding all the needed ingredients to one pot; Efik version of palm jollof rice is just so simple and straight forward, the water is added together with all the ingredients and the palm to boil for few minutes before adding in the parboiled rice. However, you can also prepare this delicious rice meal by frying your onions and pepper in the palm oil before adding chicken stock or plain water and the rice. In this method, the palm oil doesnt need to bleached, but hot enough to sizzle the onions; this version is super tasty as well. For a more earthyaroma, you can add okpei, (locally made locust beans or iru,) to your palm oil jollof rice; it adds a distinctive aroma to the native rice dish.
Table of Contents
Palm oil jollof rice (native rice) Ingredients
- 2 cups of medium long grain rice
- 2-3 cooking spoons of palm oil
- 3 crushed Habanero peppers or Ata-rodo
- Garlic and ginger as needed(optional)
- 1 medium sized onion
- cup of chopped Basil or scent leaves
- 1 tablespoon dry grinded pepper or red chili flakes
- 2 tablespoons of ground crayfish
- 300g of kpomo (cow hide), cut into tiny pieces
- cup whole dry prawns, optional
- 1 large dry fish or smoked fish (or 4 small ones)
- 3 seasoning stock cubes
- 2 cups of meat stock or plain water
Steps on how to prepare palm oil jollof rice (native rice) recipe
- Add water to the rice and place on heat to boil for 5 minutes, then rinse and keep aside.
- Place a dry pot on heat and add enough palm oil to it, and heat it up for 3 seconds.
- Add onions and garlic, and then fry for 30 seconds.
- Add the kpomo (cow skin) and the dried fish to the content and stir.
- Add meat stock to it and season the content with seasoning cubes, crayfish, ginger and salt.
- Add the rice to the content and stir very well to combine, add more water to the rice if needed and taste for salt and adjust.
- Bring the rice to a boil and keep checking it from time to time to see the level of water. Meanwhile, pluck the basil from the stalk and shred into small sizes
- Once the rice is dried, add the chopped basil and stir very well.
- Leave the rice to cook for another 5 minutes on a low heat.
- Take the rice off from heat and serve it as you want.
Easy steps to prepare palm oil jollof rice (Native rice) recipe with pictures
1. Add water to the rice and place on heat to boil for 5 minutes to remove excess starch, then rinse and keep aside.
2. Place a dry pot on heat and add enough palm oil to it, heat it up for 3 seconds and start adding onions and garlic, and pepper to fryfor 30 seconds.
3. Add the kpomo (cow hide) and the dried fish to the content and stir and leave it to coo for 3 minutes.
4. Add meat stock to it and season the content with seasoning cubes, crayfish, ginger and salt.
5. Add the rice to the content and stir very well to combine, add more water to the rice if needed and taste for salt and adjust.
6. Bring the rice to a boil and keep checking it from time to time to see the level of water. Meanwhile, pluck the basil from the stalk, shred the leaves into small sizes and keep aside.
7. Once the rice is dried, add the chopped basil and stir very well.
8. Leave the rice to cook for another 5 minutes on a low heat. after adding basil to it.
9.Take the rice off from heat and serve it as you want, I love palm oil jollof rice with avocado