WHAT WILL IT BE THIS CHRISTMAS?????
Cooking comes so natural to me. I am that child who is always by her mom’s bosom whilst she cooks. So I learnt loads from her. Bless you Mom! I also get my inspirations from programs I watch such as the Master-chef series and Come Dine With Me ... I can literally make someone trying to be a size 8, go off her weight lose plans, @Zitera is a witness. I can concoct recipes and yet it works perfectly well.
Marrying a man that does not eat out is another motivational factor. Our first year of being married, I used to bribe him with different kinda delicacies. In fact, he got so confused as to how I can cook to perfection compare with my ‘nwatakiri and ajebota’ looks * wink *. My Millennium house dolls gave me the title ‘aka n’ewu ite’, maybe one day I would have my very own restaurant and cookbooks.
My Nursing studies have taking my time and attention, so I hardly cook these days because I make them in bulk now so as to have time for my cute lil family. Christmas is around the corner, for those of us that love surprises, here is the recipe that will make him buy that shoe, bag, perfume that has been making us go window shopping everyday. Here is my very own coconut rice recipe.
Coconut Jollof Rice Recipe with prawns and veg.
This particular rice, Nwoke m loves it. I can practically cook it for him everyday and he will never complain. I cook it to perfection. Try this and your friends will come knocking at yours during Xmas.
Ingredients:
- Three cups of basmati rice
- Meat – chicken or beef
- 3 Knorr cubes
- Thyme, curries, ginger and garlic
- Onions
- Pepper
- 2 whole Fresh Coconuts
- Little or no salt…salt is not healthy
- Tomatoes
- Sunflower oil or vegetable oil (I use sunflower)
- Peas
- King prawns
- Water
The Preparation stages:
Preparation of this delicacy, could take about 1hr. this is a multitasking process, from coconut processing to meat cooking and frying, to tomatoes blending and preparations up to the end process of adding water and rice.
Coconut Preparation
For those of us with bingo wings, here is the secret to losing those extra fat (grating coconuts). Its hard work but the end product is magical. Here we go - Break the coconuts, wash and grate with a grater. Once done, boil water and pour into the processed coconuts and squeeze out the coconut milk and set aside.
Meat Process
In a big pot, put in your meat, add 2 Knorr cubes, a tbsp. of curry, and tsp. of thyme, tiny ginger and 3 medium fingers of garlic. Add 800ml of water and cook until meat is done to your satisfaction. Once ready, remove the chicken/beef and fry them. Leaving the meat stock in the pot.
Tomatoes stage
While the chicken/beef is cooking, blend the tomatoes with onions and pepper. In another pot, pour in 100ml of sunflower oil, slice in the onions and add the blended tomatoes. Bring to boiling until all the water in the tomatoes is dried up.
The making of the shining rice
Pour in the meat stock into the tomatoes with the coconut water. Add the last Knorr cube and taste. Bring to boiling, then add the basmati rice, and allow boiling for 3 minutes. Then reducing the gas heat to the lowest and leave the rice to cook through steam. Carefully Stir the rice every 5 minutes. Then allow on low heat for 7 minutes until all water is sucked into the rice, add the peas and prawns. Allow for another 3 minutes and we are ready to eat.
For Serving
Serve with avocado prawn salad and chilled cranberry juice.
Hope you will try this recipe, for better shining and coconutty rice. The aroma is JUST heavenly. Enjoy!!!
Please feel free to drop a comment, I will be posting yet another recipe. 'Cow leg nkwobi recipe'.