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How to make iwuk Edesi (Native jollof rice)

Chichi Uguru
Native Jollof Rice or Iwuk Edesi is a delicious Nigerian delicacy. A very tasty rice dish that is most times ignored either because it needs a bit more ingredients to make than the traditional jollof rice or maybe the process sounds or looks daunting.

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups parboiled long grain rice
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • ½ cup Red Palm oil
  • 2 Tbsp Tomato paste
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp bouillon powder
  • 2 Tbsp Fermented Iru Locust beans.
  • 1 cup okporo dried prawns- remove head and tails
  • 2 Tbsp ground crayfish
  • ½ Tbsp ground Cameroon pepper
  • ½ Tbsp crushed pepper flakes
  • ½ large Red bell pepper
  • 4 cups Meat stock or a combination of meat stock and water to make 4 cups
  • 1 ½ cup chopped spinach
  • I medium size smoked fish deboned and cleaned

Instructions

Oven method:

  • Wash rice till water runs clear. Set aside in sieve to drain while you prepare the sauce.
  • Sauté chopped onions in palm oil, add tomato paste, and bouillon powder. Stir to combine.
  • Add the crayfish, smoked fish, Iru, Cameroon pepper, pepper flakes and chopped red bell pepper. Stir to combine.
  • Pour in the half of meat stock and bring to boil.
  • Preheat oven to 400 F
  • Spray your baking dish with cooking spray
  • Pour washed rice into the baking dish
  • Pour sauce over rice and stir
  • Pour the rest of the meat stock in and stir. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
  • Add the dried prawns and Cover baking dish tightly with foil.
  • Bake on lower rack of oven for 1 hour
  • Bring out baking dish, fluff the rice then stir the chopped spinach enjoy

Stove top method:

  • Wash rice till water runs clear. Set aside Prepare sauce like above but this time add the meat stock at once.
  • When sauce is ready, turn off heat. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
  • Pour in the washed rice, add the prawns. Stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
  • Turn heat back on, cover pot tightly ( you can use foil) and let rice cook on medium heat for 30 mins by this time all the liquid should have been absorbed.
  • Check rice for doneness. Turn off heat, fluff rice then store in the chopped spinach. Enjoy.