What it is
Rice cooked with palm oil, pepper and dried fish so that the oil coats every grain. It is simpler than native jollof, often made with whatever protein and vegetables are in the house, and is a household rather than a ceremonial dish.
Key ingredients
- Rice
- Palm oil
- Ground pepper
- Dried fish or crayfish
- Onions
- Vegetables such as ugu or scent leaf
- Seasoning
A list of what goes in, not a recipe. Quantities and method vary by household.
How it is eaten
Eaten straight from the pot as a full meal, sometimes with fried fish or a boiled egg on the side.
Cultural significance
Palm oil rice is a cheap, quick pot found across the south east and Delta, cooked when there is no time or money for a separate stew. Because palm oil is pressed locally and keeps well, it works as the flavour base where tinned tomato paste would be an extra cost.
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