Jollof rice
Jollof’s base ingredient is always rice, and tomato, pepper and onion, plus scotch bonnets. It’s customizable according to your preference. Make it hotter than the sun, or as mild as a European’s palette. Add mixed vegetables if you want.
Akara
These delicious protein-packed fritters are light, making them ideal for breakfast as a side with ogi throughout the day as a snack. Most people use peeled brown beans, ground and blended with onions and spices, and fry in vegetable oil.
Bean and plantain pottage
Pottage is most commonly made with yams. Nigeria is one of the top producers of yam in the world. This variation balances the nuttiness of brown beans with the natural sweetness of plantains, and the palm oil adds a rich smoky taste to it.
Suya
Suya is widely considered to be a specialty of the Hausa people of northern Nigeria and Niger. The key to excellent suya is the spice mix called yaji. It is steeped in before grilling, and the Mallam will never share their recipes. The joy of suya is finding the best spots in your state
Zobo
It’s tangy and sweet and inherently customizable. You can add fruits of your choice, like a non-alcoholic Pimm, cloves, sparkling water or lemonade, and even chili. On a hot day, there’s nothing like a tall glass of zobo.
Moin moin
It is made of peeled Nigerian brown beans ground together with onions, bell pepper, palm oil and spices, and steamed in banana leaves or other vessels. You can add any combination of extra bits to it, like flaked fish, slices of hard boiled eggs, ground beef. It is literally up to you
Edikangikong
It is a dry leafy vegetable soup from the Cross River region of Nigeria. The greens are a mixture of ugwu and gbure (waterleaf). In places where these leaves are unavailable, people substitute spinach. People also use a mix of meats and fish, and periwinkles.
Dodo
These are deep fried plantains, cut in slim diagonal slices, circles or cubes and deep-dried. Some people like to sprinkle some salt on before frying, but that’s down to personal taste. It can be a snack, a side dish, a main meal, a blessing.
Ogbono
A soup made from ground ogbono seeds plus palm oil, stock and spices. It’s usually eaten with staples like eba, fufu, pounded yam or amala. It has a wonderful slippery texture that helps the fufu go down easier. There are many variations on it, too; it can be cooked alone, with vegetables, with or without meat or fish, with okra, or even with added melon seeds called egusi. It’s super-quick to cook, and a perfect introduction to the many soups of Nigerian cuisine
Banga
A palm fruit-based soup that is most commonly associated with the Delta region, and particularly the Urhobo ethnic group. There are variations across the country – and indeed West Africa and beyond – but they all include regional spices and all elevate fresh ingredients like fish and seafood (Alaskan sockeye salmon, oysters, etc), assorted meats, the palm fruit itself.