Nigerian Fried Rice with a Twist

By Ebenezer Odeniyi (IG: @veganezer)

From a young age I would normally have fried rice or jollof rice at parties or at home as a treat, so I decided to share this recipe with my own vegan twist to it.

I used the shell of a pineapple to serve, but didn't miss out on any of the goodness inside of it to make a fresh and tangy sauce for the firm tofu!!

This is a treat and a real showstopper - especially when the sun comes out. Have a go at making this and tag @veganezer in the post if you do.

What you need:

For the Pineapple tofu.

1 medium pineapple 1 block of tofu, pressed 3 tbsp of oil for frying (may need more)

1⁄2 cup of cornstarch 2 tbsp of soy sauce 1⁄2 of fresh pineapple (blended to liquid)

2 tbsp of maple syrup 2 tbsp of garlic, minced 1 tsp of ginger, grated 1⁄2 cup of water

Fried rice

300g of basmati rice (3cups) 1 onion 1 tbsp grated ginger 1 tbsp minced garlic

1 cup of mixed peppers, peas and carrots

4 closed mushrooms, sliced 2 spring onions 1/2 scotch bonnet

1 tsp thyme 2 tsp curry powder 1 bayleaves 2 vegetable stock cubes

1 tsp all-purpose seasoning

Pinch of salt 1/2 cup oil 500ml boiling water

Method:

Fried rice:

1. Heat oil in a pot, then add the onion and fry for 3-4mins.

2. Add the spring onions, ginger and scotch bonnet and fry for another 2mins.

3. Add the garlic (adding this last makes sure you wont burn it)

4. Add the seasoning, bay leaf, thyme and stir for a min.

5. Add the washed rice and make sure to combine really well.

6. Add the veggies and reduce to a low heat and simmer.

7. Cover and leave to cook for 20mins, regularly checking it every 8 minutes or so.

8. After 20mins the rice should be cooked and ready to eat

Whilst that's cooking, you can make the pineapple tofu:

1. Press the tofu for 20mins, then cut into cubes. Add to a bowl with cornflour and pinch of salt.

2. Cut the fruit from the pineapple out and blend to a smooth mixture.

3. Add the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, water, maple syrup to the pineapple mixture and blend to until smooth.

4. Add the mixture into a small saucepan and put onto a low heat.

5. Take a teaspoon of the cornflour and water and mix to form a smooth paste, then add to the sauce and combine well.

6. Heat up a frying pan and add the oil for frying. Once hot add the tofu and brown on all sides.

7. Once the sauce is thickened, add to the browned tofu and combine.

8. Once all cubes of tofu are covered, serve with the rice. Enjoy!

About the chef:

My name is Ebenezer Odeniyi, I am from the United Kingdom with a Nigerian heritage.

I started my plant based diet to try and slim down and never looked back. As time went on I cared for the animals and this planet we live on.

A lot of my recipes are focused on trying to help people realise they don't need to eat animals to have the flavour.

I do a few mock meats and cook seitan quite a bit in my food, as well as a load of food prep so have a look on my page on Instagram, @veganezer. Enjoy!