If there is any dish Nigerians are absolutely proud of it is the Jollof rice. There’s a variety of ways to prepare the Nigerian jollof rice also there are different types of jollof rice eg. regular jollof rice, palm oil jollof rice, Egusi jollof rice etc.
Banga jollof rice is mouthwateringly delicious. It is a combination of Banga soup and rice. In fact, you can use your leftover Banga Soup or Ofe Akwu to make this dish. It has to be very soft as it absorbs the flavours of the ingredients, it shouldn’t be dry nor should it be mushy. The palm oil extract is what gives it a creamy taste. I prefer to use local rice for this Jollof.
You can either chop your onions or blend to a puree. Adding cut up beef or ponmo is totally optional. Prawns both dry and fresh are delicious in Banga jollof rice.
You can use delta Banga soup or Igbo Ofe Akwu spices and herbs or you can leave it plain like mine. Also, for a Yoruba version, add iru. The freshly extracted palm fruit extract is best for this dish but canned palm nut extract is more convenient. It is available in the markets.
For how to extract palm fruit extract click. Palm fruit juice can also be extracted using a food processor, click.
How to prepare Banga Jollof Rice
3 cups rice 2 large onions Dry fish 3 cups palmnut extract 1/4 cup ground crayfish 3 seasoning cubes 2 tablespoons chili pepper salt Nchu anwu (Scent leaf) Banga spices (optional)
If you are using beef and ponmo, wash and place in a pot, season with salt, seasoning cube, onions, Cameroun pepper and some water cover.
Place over medium heat and boil. When soft, cut into one-inch pieces, set aside.
While the meat is cooking, wash rice, place in a pot, add enough water to cover the rice.
Boil until about halfway cooked. Drain into a sieve, rinse in cold water and set aside.
Chop or grind onions, wash dry fish, wash and shred the scent leaves.
Pour Banga extract into a pot over medium-high heat.
Add dry fish, crayfish, seasoning cubes, dry chilli pepper and Banga spice (if using).
Stir, taste and add salt.
Bring to a boil, cook for 5 minutes.
Add meat stock and some water enough to cover the rice.
Pour the parboiled rice and chopped meat into the Banga broth, stir and cover tightly.
Cook until very little water is remaining, add scent leaf and stir.
Cover and reduce to a very gentle simmer.
Cook until water has been absorbed, leave covered to dry out about 5 minutes.
Serve.
Banga jollof rice
Ingredients
- 3 cups rice
- 2 large onions
- Dry fish
- 3 cups palmnut extract
- ¼ cup ground crayfish
- 3 seasoning cubes
- 2 tablespoons chili pepper
- salt
- Nchu anwu (Scent leaf)
- Banga spices (optional)
Instructions
- If you are using beef and ponmo, wash and place in a pot, season with salt, seasoning cube, onions, Cameroun pepper and some water cover.
- Place over medium heat and boil. When soft, cut into one-inch pieces, set aside.
- While the meat is cooking, wash rice, place in a pot, add enough water to cover the rice.
- Boil until about halfway cooked. Drain into a sieve, rinse in cold water and set aside.
- Chop or grind onions, wash dry fish, wash and shred the scent leaves.
- Pour Banga extract into a pot over medium-high heat.
- Add dry fish, crayfish, seasoning cubes, dry chilli pepper and Banga spice (if using). Stir, taste and add salt.
- Bring to a boil, cook for 5 minutes.
- Pour the parboiled rice and chopped meat into the Banga broth, add meat stock and some water enough to cover the rice.Stir and cover tightly.
- Cook until very little water is remaining, add scent leaf and stir.
- Cover and reduce to a very gentle simmer.
- Cook until water has been absorbed, leave covered to dry out about 5 minutes.
If you enjoyed my Banga Jollof Rice, you will also enjoy my Palm-nut stew (Stew Akwu), Banga Soup, Delta style, Nigerian jollof rice and Ofe Akwu, Palm-nut soup (Igbo Banga).
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I am Ganiru, a wife, a mother, a food blogger, a chef, an author and an accountant. I love to cook and write about food, especially Nigerian and afro-centric food... 