Nigerian Style Shabbat

I chose Nigeria this week because Sarida suggested it. Apparently she had a Nigerian friend at school. When she told him about our international Shabbatot, he said we should try Nigeria because the food is excellent. 
We had a lot of guests this week. Our guests included 5 girls who are learning here this year: 2 from England, 1 from Canada, and 2 from New York. At lunch we were joined by friends from the moshav. They all live here but are originally from France, Tunisia, and America. 
Everyone from everywhere, really enjoyed the food. It was spicy but not too hot.
 I however, was a little frustrated with the cooking. I had some trouble following the recipes. In the end I felt I cooked the same thing twice: chicken with rice and tomatoes. 
I didn't have time to take pictures of any of the food, so I just have the recipes here.

Jewish Life and History

As I do every week, I did a search on Google to find out about Jewish life.  The first article I opened was Wikipedia where I read "The history of the Jews in Nigeria is a complex subject."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Nigeria
There are tribes in Nigeria, who believe they are descended from the lost tribes. We read some articles about the Ibos who believe they are from the tribe of Gad. They have many Jewish customs. They eat kosher meat, circumcise the males on the 8th day, keep Succoth and Yom Kippur, and separate the women during menstruation. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/Nigeria.html

Food

Friday Night Dinner

Ogobongo Soup
Nigerian Guinea Fowl Stew
Jollof Rice


Prepared for 15.

Ogobono Soup  

This is a great soup. We decided I should continue making this even after we finish eating international.
Original Recipes: http://www.congocookbook.com/soup_and_stew_recipes/ogbono_soup.html http://www.whats4eats.com/soups/ogbono-soup-recipe

My Ogobono Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• Chicken, I included the bones for flavor
• 1 cup ground (in blender) pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup palm oil (I had this left from Passover and I was very glad to use it!) I think you can use any oil
• 4 onions chopped
• 3-6 minced chopped chili peppers
• 6 cups chopped tomatoes
• 12 cups water
• 2 cups chopped asparagus (The recipe called for okra, which I could not find here. I used asparagus because we had plenty. You can also substitute green beans.)
• 2 cups spinach leaves, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation 

1. Heat pumpkin seeds in about 1/2 cup palm oil until they give off a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. In palm oil, saute the onions and chili pepper about 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes and cook another 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Add water and chicken and cook for at least one hour, until chicken is ready.
5. Remove chicken to cool.
6. In the blender, grind the pumpkin seeds.
7. In a separate bowl, whisk a spoonful of soup into the pumpkin seeds, creating a paste. Then whisk this paste into the soup. 
8. Steam the spinach and asparagus, then add to soup. Add the chicken meat back in. Season with salt and pepper.

Since I prepared this on Thursday and planned to serve it on Friday, I did not add the greens and asparagus until I heated the soup before Shabbat.

Nigerian Fowl Stew  

This was also very good.
Original Recipes: http://www.streetdirectory.com/food_editorials/cuisines/international_cuisine/the_recipes_of_nigeria.html
http://www.onlinenigeria.com/recipes/stew.asp

My Nigerian Fowl Stew Recipe

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil
• 2 chickens plus a few more pieces if needed.
• 1 tbsp curry
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp thyme
• 1 tsp black cumin
• 2 onions, sliced
• tomato puree
• 6 tomatoes blended
• ground chili pepper
• bay leaves
• 3 cloves garlic, 

Preparation 

.

1. In the blender, blend tomatoes, garlic, chili, and bay leaves.
2. In a large pot, place the chicken, curry, thyme, onion slices and salt. Add water to partially cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer about 1 hour until chicken is done.
3. When chicken is cooked, remove from pot and then heat a little oil and brown. I used palm oil.
4. Saute tomato mixture in a little oil then add tomato paste and a little water.
5. Add garlic and saute about 1 more minute.
6. Place the cooked chicken in a pan and cover with the sauce. 

Jollof Rice

Thursday night I was very tired and could not finish cooking. I made the rice Friday before Shabbat, I read the recipes and watched the videos. The rice I made was a very quick version of the real Jollof rice.
Since I knew that I was serving this with the stew, I only added a small amount of sauce to the rice
Original Recipes: http://www.allnigerianrecipes.com/stews/tomato-stew.html

My Jollof Rice Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 plum tomatoes. All the recipes specified plum tomatoes. In some of the recipes, I substituted other types of tomatoes.
• 3 Basil leaves
• prepared rice
• oil

Preparation 

1. Prepare rice.
2. In the blender, blend tomatoes and basil.
3. Saute quickly with a small amount of oil. 
4. Mix tomatoes into rice. 

Shabbat Lunch

Nigerian Salad

Nigerian Egg Rolls

Grilled Chicken with 

Jollof Coconut Rice

Kidney Bean Stew

Prepared for 15.

Nigerian Salad

I forgot to print this before Shabbat. I had to try to remember what to add.
Original Recipe: http://www.allnigerianrecipes.com/salad/nigerian-salad.html

My Nigerian Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 tomatoes, sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup corn
• 4 boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
• 3 cucumbers. sliced
• Lettuce,
• Red beans (or any bean)
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1 tbsp creamy salad dressing 
• Olive oil
• White vinegar
• salt and pepper

Preparation 

1.  Place vegetables, beans, seeds, and eggs in a a large bowl
2. Add salad dressing, olive oil, and vinegar. Toss. 
3. Salt and pepper to taste.

Nigerian Egg Rolls 

A few weeks ago, when we ate Scottish food, we ate hard boiled eggs covered in ground turkey meat. These egg rolls are based on the same recipe. Because Nigeria was a British colony, there are some similarities in food. I guess this is a poor man's version, without the meat.
These were hard to make. We were most successful when we dropped the egg in the batter, took it out with a spoon, and then fried it.
Original Recipes:http://www.allnigerianrecipes.com/snacks/egg-roll.html

http://olamidedotorg.wordpress.com/2011/06/10/nigerian-egg-rolls-recipes/

My Nigerian Egg Rolls Recipe

Ingredients

• 20 hard boiled eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 6 tbsp white sugar
• water
• oil for frying. (I used canola)

Preparation 

1.  In large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, eggs, and water.
2. Heat oil.
3. Wrap eggs in the batter. 
4. Fry until lightly brown.

Grilled Chicken  

Original Recipes: http://www.allnigerianrecipes.com/howto/grilled-chicken.html#howtoseasongrillchicken

My Grilled Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

• 15 chicken thighs and legs (30 pieces)
• 3 onions, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp thyme
• This recipe called for soup stock cubes so in their place I  decided to add extra spices to the chicken, basil, bay leaf, and rosemary. 
• salt

Preparation 

1. Add chicken, covered with onions and thyme, rosemary, basil, and bay leaf to pot. Cover with water and cook at least one hour.
2. When done, add salt and cook another 5 minutes. 
3. Remove chicken from water and drain. 
4. Set the stock aside for the rice.
5. Cook in oven, on grill, at 170 c 350 f. Cook until brown, then turn and brown second side.
6. Place in pan and store until Shabbat. To keep moist, add a little broth to pan.

Jollof Coconut Rice  

Like the previous rice recipe. This is really my own fast version. Since I have never had real Nigerian food, I am not sure this really tasted like it should. In any case, everyone liked it.
Original Recipes: \http://www.allnigerianrecipes.com/rice/nigerian-coconut-rice.html
for tomato sauce http://anniescookbook.blogspot.com/2008/02/bukkys-nigerian-tomato-sauce.html

My Jollof Coconut Rice Recipe

Ingredients

• Cooked rice
• Water
• Oil
• 6 Tomatoes
• 4 to 6 cloves garlic
• Tomato paste
• Chicken Broth
• Coconut milk
• Thyme
• Curry
• Bay leaves
• salt

Preparation 

1. Make tomato sauce, blend tomatoes, garlic, and 2 onions.
2. In a hot pot, saute 1 tbsp oil (I used palm) and 1 onion sliced. The onion is for flavoring the oil. Let cook until the onion is translucent.
3. Add tomato mixture and 1/4 cup tomato paste.
4. Now add the chicken broth, coconut milk, thyme, curry, and bay leaves. 
5. Cook. 
6. Serve  rice with the grilled chicken.

Nigerian Red Kidney Bean Stew with a Peanut Sauce   

Original Recipe: http://maninas.wordpress.com/2007/11/15/nigerian-red-kidney-bean-stew-with-a-peanut-sauce/

My Nigerian Red Kidney Bean Stew with a Peanut Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 cups  red kidney beans cooked
• palm oil
• 2 onions chopped
• 4 chili peppers, chopped
• 3 gloves garlic, grated
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 2/1/2 tsp cumin
• 3/4 cayenne
• 1 1/2 5sp lemon
• 3 tbsp peanut butter

Preparation 

1. Cook beans, I added a bay leaf and salt and pepper.
2. Saute onions, garlic, and peppers in oil.
3. Add cumin, cayenne, tomatoes, and lemon and a little water. Bring to a boil, then simmer 15 minutes.
4. Add some water from the beans to the peanut butter. 
5. Mix together in a large pot and simmer 15-20 minutes.

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