Smoked Prawns and Yaji Fried Rice

There is something about tasting something familiar in a dish. A flavour that you are used to. Something that reminds you of your roots. That is what this Smoked Prawns Yaji Fried Rice reminds me of. When you are thinking of something to do for dinner, this is one dish that will be a knock out at home or even for a party.

Can we just take a break from the regular Nigerian fried rice which by the way is losing some character? These days all I see in fried rice is some specs of carrot, few green peppers and some sprinkles of liver or sausage. That is so uninspiring though.

I imagine going to a restaurant in North America for example and searching for a dish on the menu that will remind me of home. Even when blind folded one spoon of today’s offering, will immediately give me the full vibes of a Nigerian cuisine And my immediate expression will be … this one na origi Naija. Okay back from the dream world and back to the kitchen. Let’s get cooking smoked Prawns and Yaji Fried Rice. Enjoy!

 

Recipe for Smoked Prawns and Yaji Fried Rice

Ingredients

1 cup Rice

10 pieces smoked Prawns

2 teaspoons Yaji powder (dry Chilli pepper + cloves + dry ginger powder)

1 small Onion

2 sticks of chopped Carrots

5 sticks of Spring Onion, chopped

1/4 cup Vegetable oil

Dry pepper to taste

1 Tatashe, chopped

Crayfish seasoning cube

Salt to taste

Method

1. Wash the Rice and set aside.
2. Heat the oil and fry the onion. When onion starts to caramelize add the Yaji for a few seconds and pour in the raw washed rice, crush in the crayfish seasoning, pepper and salt and fry.
3. Fry the rice dry stirring consistently with a wooden spoon for about 5 minutes.
4. Add water, prawns and taste to correct seasoning. Allow to simmer till rice to cook. Taste to check that rice is cooked before adding the carrots to cook for about 3 minutes.
5. Turn off the heat add the spring onion and tatashe stir and allow the vegetables to cook in the heat
6. Serve rice hit or warm.