The article 30 Nigerian Foods You Should Know is very important if you wish to know more about Nigerians and what they like to eat. Food forms an important part of the various cultures we have in Nigeria. It contributes to our identity as Nigerians. Interestingly. Nigerians have rich, delicious, and highly nutritious foods that are satisfying to the soul and body.
Nigerians are among the happiest people in the world and their love for food is also recognized. And they love to eat. In Nigeria, it is a popular belief that the way to a man’s heart is his stomach.
As the culture is diverse, so is the food. The over 500 ethnic groups have their varieties of food. So, to help visitors, travelers and tourists settle in while in Nigeria, here is a list of Nigerian meals to check out.
Jollof Rice
This is worthy of its place on the list of 30 Nigerian Foods You Should Know. The Jollof Rice is arguably the most popular Nigerian food. It is the meal that suits almost every occasion in Nigeria. From weddings, funerals, house warming to picnics, Jollof Rice is first on the menu. This rich and tasty meal has pepper, broth, seasoning, and spices. Serve it with protein.
Nigerian Fried Rice
On the list of 30 Nigerian Foods You Should Know, this still falls under the rice variety. Cook this with fresh vegetables fried and stirred into the rice. Other necessary recipes are beef liver, carrots, green beans, sweet corn peas, and more. Serve this with any protein of choice, like shrimp, chicken, or beef. This is a delicious meal you should try out.
Local Jollof Rice
The difference between native jollof rice and regular jollof rice is the choice of oil. The regular Jollof needs groundnut oil or vegetable while the native jollof rice requires palm oil. You can do other recipes like pepper, spices, seasoning, and hearty protein.
Egusi/Melon Soup
When it comes to Nigerian soups as part of 30 Nigerian Foods You Should Know, Egusi soup is second to none. Egusi is a tasty soup made from melon seeds from the gourd family. The process of preparation begins with the grinding of melon, making it into balls, and mixing it with leafy vegetables and pepper. There are diverse ways of preparing this soup and you can serve it with pounded yam or akpu. It also serves as a sauce for the rice.
Banga Soup
This is another popular Nigerian soup on the list of 30 Nigerian Foods You Should Know. To make this, you need palm nuts. You can cook the nut with assorted protein, spice flavorings, and beletete. It’s a traditional soup that’s quite exotic and nutritious.
Spinach Stew
You can cook the Spinach Stew with diced spinach mixed with a pepper stew. You can eat this with any protein of your choice to make an assorted delicacy. Rice and swallows are some foods you can eat this savoury stew with.
Beef Stew
Have your beef steamed and soaked in a delicious broth and you are going to have your beef stew. This rich and nutritious stew should be served with bread, white rice, couscous, and more.
Nigerian Buns
With a requisite knowledge of baking and a batter of flour, baking powder, milk, and sugar, you will have this tasty snack. Fried in hot oil, it gives you a crispy exterior and a soft interior. This should serve as breakfast with a soft drink, brunch, or a snack.
Puff Puff
This is almost the same as the Nigerian buns. To make a puff puff, use yeast instead of baking powder. You deep-fry it in deep oil to give you a golden-brown ball and serve it with juice and it has a savoury taste.
Plantain Puff Puff
As the name suggests, you must use plantain in preparing this. The addition of plantain is to give it a unique taste. It requires the same making process as that of the classic puff puff but with a different taste.
Meat Pie
You need to know the rudiments of baking to make this. You need a mix of flour, butter, salt, sugar, baking powder, and egg batter kneaded and filled with seasoned ground beef, carrots, and potatoes to prepare a sumptuous meat pie. This is a good choice for breakfast, brunch, or a snack.
Chicken Stew
To cook this, you need your chicken cut into sizable pieces and cooked in a pot of pepper prepared with different spices and seasonings. This is quite delicious and serves as a sauce for rice and spaghetti.
Style Chicken Fried Rice
If you are looking for how to make your leftover rice into something tasty, then this is it. This variation of fried rice only needs minimal preparation and all you need to do is just an addition of chicken to your leftover fried rice.
Pepper Sauce
If you are not a fan of pepper or you have an ulcer, then this is not for you. This is the most peppery meal in 30 Nigerian Foods You Should Know. This is a healthy sauce prepared with blended bell peppers, habaneros, chili flakes, garlic, onion, ginger, and tomatoes. If you are looking for something fast, spicy, and fiery hot, then this is the best. It is a good sauce for boiled yams, rice, boiled potatoes, and so on.
The Nigerian Salad
You need a salad of cream, cabbage, carrot, and cucumber to prepare this. It’s quite simple to make. Have your vegetables chopped into sizable pieces and add your salad cream and you are good to go. This salad recipe is a great choice. Salad is a great choice when it comes to eating any kind of rice and it also serves as an appetizer, and even as a main dish. You should try it.
Eba
This is one of the most popular dishes in Nigeria. Eba has no class. This fits into any social class. Both the rich and the poor can enjoy this meal. To make this, you only need garri and hot water. This dough-like swallow is one of the simplest swallows to make. It is goes well with delicious Nigerian soups like Ewedu, okra spinach stew, Egusi soup, and catfish stew.
Pounded Yam
This is the king of swallows. It is food for men and in Nigeria, it is believed that this should be taken before or after hard work. It is quite simple to make and all you need are a yam, mortar, and pestle. The process involves pounding a variety of African yams until it is perfectly smooth and served like dough. Pounded yam goes with Nigerian soups like Egusi, okra soup, and stewed spinach.
Fufu/Akpu
Fufu may be the name that’s more popular of the two but Akpu is also well-known within the country. After pounded yam, this comes second on the list of swallows. This is made from processed cassava that’s cooked into a smooth, starchy, and stretchy dough. Like any other swallow, it goes well with delicious soups like Ewedu and Egusi and others.
Okra Pepper Soup
To prepare this, you need a combination of okra, pepper, palm oil, and protein. If you are allergic to pepper, then avoid this. Eba and Amala are a perfect match for this soup.
Ogbono Soup
Ogbono mixed with Egusi balls and served with pounded yam is a meal that should be taken in one’s lifetime. To prepare this, you need wild mango seeds known locally as Ogbono seeds. This is a healthy traditional soup. It is thick and you should cook this with all kinds of meat and fish. It can go with any swallow of choice.
Yam Porridge
To have this dish prepared, you need yam, pepper, onions, seasoning, and palm oil. Boil the yam, mash it and mix with pepper and other ingredients. The palm oil gives it a bright color with an amazing taste. Add a leafy vegetable and enjoy with any protein.
Moin/Moi Moi
Another name for this is bean cake. Beans, peppers, spices, and seasonings are recipes for this. It is quite cheap to prepare and is a great choice for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You should combine this with pap too. This is quite popular on Nigerian streets.
Rice and Beans
This is a popular food in Nigeria and in most Nigerian homes, you are sure to see this being cooked on Sunday. This is a combination of rice and beans cooked together in one pot. Any of the stews listed in this article can go with this.
Nigerian Egg Rolls
This also falls under baked foods. You prepare this by wrapping a boiled egg in a mass of flour dough and then fry to form a ball-like shape. We can classify it as one of the fast foods available on the street for a quick brunch. You should take this with a cup of cold juice or tea.
Chin-Chin
If you are looking for something crunchy, then this is for you. To make chin-chin, you need a batter of flour, sugar, milk, butter, and nutmeg. You can make it into different shapes and taken in between work.
Fried plantains
The Yorubas call this Dodo. Ripe plantain is cut into different sizes and fried in oil. It has a sweet and savoury taste and if you are not disciplined enough, you may end up eating everything before you are done with the frying. It is best served with white rice, jollof rice, stewed beans, and couscous.
Grilled Plantains
A ripe plantain is a compulsory recipe for this. All you need to do is to have the plantain roasted or grilled over hot charcoal. This is also very popular in the streets and go well with groundnut, pepper sauce, or fried egg.
Plantain fufu
The only difference between this food and your regular fufu made from cassava is the plantain. If you are tired of eating regular fufu and you want something different, then this is for you. You need green plantain to prepare this and it goes well with any soup. If you are diabetic, then this is a perfect choice for you because it contains a low sugar content.
Jollof Spaghetti
Tired of eating your everyday spaghetti and stew? Then you should try this. This is a one-pot stewed spaghetti recipe made with aromatics, vegetable oil, and pepper. It is a good choice for lunch or dinner.
Goat pepper soup
To prepare this, you need goat meat, pepper, and seasoning. This is a hot and spicy pepper soup with sizable chunks of goat meat. A chilled cup of your favourite drink should be on the table while you take this.
Nigeria is blessed in a multiplicity of ways and the diverse foods that are available in the country are part of these. This is made possible as a result of a large number of ethnic groups in the country. These different foods are drawn from different ethnic groups however, they are prepared and eaten all over the country. The list of Nigerian foods is inexhaustible due to the avalanche of varieties available in the country. This list is just a guide to help you settle in and enjoy your stay in the country. Enjoy!