Yikes it’s ‘fried’, but its fried rice… You have never had rice until you have had ‘African fried rice’. However, here is the catch… I had never heard of African fried rice till I set foot on US soil. Imagine that, born and raised in Cameroon, West Africa, jellof rice was one of those staple foods we grew up with as an all time favorite meal any time we had a family get together, or needed to impress someone, but we never had fried rice. Now jellof rice as featured here has been placed in the back seat, fried rice has taken over.
The key to this recipe is the perfect blends of herbs, vegetables and grains, creating a spicy dish with plenty of flavor that you can taste in every bite. It is the “to die for” filling meal. Can you tell I love this? Sincerely, my nieces, nephews and even my son dig in to this meal without ever raising their heads until their plates are empty. Needless to say “Aunty Imma is THE best cook!” They would often say. Though African fried rice is spicy, it is not hot. Happily enough, there are no defined ingredients as it varies based on the culture, for instance, I have had some friends refer to this as ‘Caribbean fried rice’, complimented by specific Caribbean ingredients and herbs for a unique island taste. So feel free to change the recipe around a little, substitute vegetables and still get the same wholesome aroma and meal.
This fried rice starts with perfectly cooked long grain rice, eggs, vegetables, shrimp, onions, vigorously stir fried with soy sauce spiced up with green seasoning featured here (a tasty blend of green leaves and garlic) and a touch of curry powder to give it a uniquely exotic flair. Just a hint, ‘Day old rice’ is preferable because it is dried out and can withstand the stirring that is often applied to fried rice, without becoming soggy. For this recipe, I used basmati fried rice. It is important to have all the ingredients ready ahead of time before you begin cooking.
