Rice can be prepared in varieties such as white rice, jollof rice, fried rice, coconut rice and concoction rice. If you attended any Nigerian tertiary institution, you must definitely be familiar with concoction rice.
Concoction rice is the meal prepared from different ingredients with the main ingredient known as oryza sativa i.e. rice. This kind of rice is also called iwuk edesi or native jollof rice by Nigerians. It is very popular in schools because of its ease and low budget, so it’s the choice of students especially the male folks who have to cook. This kind of rice is a bit different from jollof rice in its ingredients but have the same look and taste.
Rice is an everyday food, and it is prepared in various ways all over the world. It is grown in swampy areas and all eyes have to be on the farmland when it is producing seeds because avian birds always contend with it. In Nigeria, rice is imported and also grown locally for consumption. Recently, borders were closed so Nigerians could grow their main ingredient in preparing this delicacy. Rice consists of starch which makes it a carbohydrate food and rich in energy for the day’s activities.
If it is concoction, then a few ingredients are needed to prepare the food. These include rice, palm oil, tomato paste, chili pepper, sliced onions, seasoning cubes, and salt to taste.
This variety of rice can be prepared in two ways. The first method is by cooking the rice in a pot on medium heat just like boiling white rice.
Ingredients such as palm oil, tomato paste, chili pepper, seasoning cubes, and salt can then be added. These ingredients are added before the boiling white rice gets done. After about twenty minutes later, the rice is done and takes the color of the ingredients used.
The second method is by frying the ingredients i.e. tomato paste, pepper, and sliced onions in hot oil. Seasoning cube and salt are added for taste.
Read also: FIVE WAYS YOU COULD ENJOY MAIZE
Once the sauce made is tasty, enough water to boil the rice is poured into the content. The rice is boiled in this saucy water. More water can be added if the rice isn’t done in the pot when the water has dried up and not done.
Concoction rice is done and ready to be served in less than 40 minutes on medium heat. Fish, egg or meat can be added in the preparation of this meal but students don’t care if they are not included.
You must have seen students watching their pot of rice from being stolen by bad neighbors. That is the extent to which they like this meal. It is a fast meal for those caught up with academic and other activities on campus. Enjoy this meal with your favorite drink. Bon appetite!