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Ofada rice with green pepper sauce
Ofada rice: Ogun State's unpolished local rice with a meat-free green pepper and locust bean sauce
Ofada rice takes its name from a town in Ogun State and is grown on small farms across the Southwest; the grains are short, unpolished and sometimes speckled, with a nutty, earthy aroma that some love and others find strong. It is served wrapped in uma (thaumatococcus) leaves at parties and in Lagos restaurants, with ayamase, a fiery green pepper sauce cooked in bleached palm oil. Ayamase is usually loaded with assorted meats and boiled eggs; this vegan version keeps the green peppers, scotch bonnets and locust beans and adds mushrooms if you like. Banana leaves or a plain plate stand in for uma leaves. The mistake to avoid is skipping the picking and washing: local rice often holds small stones and husk. Chef's tip: bleach the palm oil with the lid nearby, the window open and the extractor on full, and never leave the pan.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the rice
- 14 oz ofada riceor brown short-grain rice
- 5 cups water
- 1 tsp saltdivided
For the green pepper sauce
- 4 green peppersdeseeded
- 4 scotch bonnet chilliesgreen or yellow ones if you can
- 2 onions1 roughly chopped, 1 sliced
- ¾ cup red palm oil
- 2 tbsp locust beansiru or dawadawa, rinsed; or 2 tsp white miso
- 1 vegetable stock cubecrumbled
- 7 oz button mushrooms (optional)halved
- 4 uma leaves (optional)or banana leaves, for serving
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Spread 14 oz ofada rice on a tray and pick out any stones or husks. Wash it in several changes of water, rubbing it between your hands, until the water runs nearly clear.
10 minStep 2: Bring 5 cups water to the boil, add the rice and half of ½ tsp salt and simmer, half-covered, for 30–35 minutes, until the grains are tender but still chewy. Drain off any excess water.
35 minStep 3: Meanwhile, blend 4 green peppers, 4 scotch bonnet chillies and the chopped 1 onions coarsely, with no water. Tip into a sieve to drain off excess liquid.
Step 4: Pour ¾ cup red palm oil into a dry heavy pot, cover loosely and heat over a medium heat for 8–10 minutes, until the oil turns from red to pale gold and clear. It will smoke, so keep a lid ready and the kitchen ventilated, and let it cool for 5 minutes before going on.
15 minStep 5: Return to a medium heat, add the sliced rest of 1 onions and fry for 3 minutes, then add 2 tbsp locust beans and fry for 1 minute until fragrant.
4 minStep 6: Stir in the blended peppers, 1 vegetable stock cube, the rest of ½ tsp salt and 7 oz button mushrooms. Fry, stirring often, for 15–20 minutes, until the sauce is thick, dark green and the oil floats on top.
18 minStep 7: Serve the rice on 4 uma leaves with the sauce spooned over or alongside.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 690 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 82 g
- Fat
- 37 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ofada rice with green pepper sauce take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 55 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of ofada rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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