INTRODUCTION:
One common problem students in Nigerian academic institutions do face is the issue of ‘what to eat’. This is a very big challenge because the daily performance of a student mentally and physically is determined by the food the student consumes.
The question of ‘what do I eat?‘ arises because of economical reasons, time management, satisfaction, health reasons, and the desires of our taste buds. So, thinking of what to use to fill the stomach, as well as getting or preparing what to eat tend to be difficult tasks for students.
OBJECTIVE:
Accordingly, I want to use this medium to introduce you to one simple answer to the question of ‘what do I eat?‘, which is Students’ jollof rice.
WHAT IS STUDENTS’ JOLLOF RICE?
Students’ jollof rice is a low-budget but palatable dish of jollof rice prepared and eaten by students.
This dish is different from the conventional jollof rice which is consumed at homes and ceremonious occasions in terms of cost of preparation, ingredients, and the time taken to prepare it.
In short, Students’ jollof rice is a basic form of jollof rice.
WHO CAN CONSUME STUDENTS’ JOLLOF RICE?
Although Students’ jollof rice could be consumed by anyone with a permissible medical condition, it is more suitable for the following group of persons:
1. Students
2. Young bachelors
3. Maidens
4. Middle-class families
5. Foodies
6. Orphans and Less-privileged people
7. usually busy People
BENEFITS OF STUDENTS’ JOLLOF RICE:
1. It is relatively easy to prepare.
2. It takes relatively less time to be prepared.
3. It requires a low cost of production.
4. The ingredients needed for its preparation are easy to obtain.
5. It provides the body with energy for work.
6. It nourishes the body with glucose which enables proper mental and physical activities to be carried out.
7. It gives satisfaction for a long period.
8. It is very tasty and enjoyable.
9. It is beneficial to health as it contains nutrients that are essential to the body.
10. It is easy to preserve for figure consumption.
NECESSARY INGREDIENTS FOR THE PREPARATION OF FOUR (4) CUPS OF STUDENTS’ JOLLOF RICE:
1. 4 cups of good-quality rice
2. 2 sachets of tomato paste
3. A bulb onion
4. Granulated pepper
5. 5 cubes of seasoning
6. Curry powder
7. Vegetable oil
8. Salt
9. Crayfish
10. Optional spices like Tumeric powder, Thyme, nutmeg powder, Rosemary e.t.c.
11. Egg (as a source of protein)
PROCEDURES:
Preparing the rice:
1. Parboil the rice for 7-10 minutes.
2. Sieve the parboiled rice from the water and put it in a clean bowl.
Preparing the stew:
3. Put the vegetable oil in the pot and heat it.
4. Slice the onion into bits and fry in the heated oil until the bits of onion attain a pale colour.
5. Empty the sachets of tomato paste into the pot of frying onion, and begin to stir the mixture of frying tomatoes and onion until the tomato paste develops a light texture. This is done to ensure that the tomatoes are fried properly as improper frying of the tomatoes will give the dish a sour taste.
6. After confirming that the tomatoes are properly fried by observing that the tomato pastes no longer sticks to the turning spoon, add a three-quarters cup of water to the contents of the pot.
7. Stir the mixture in the pot thoroughly and allow it to simmer.
8. Add four of the seasoning cubes, pepper, curry powder, and spices to the mixture and stir.
9. Taste the mixture to know the right quantity of salt to add to the mixture, then add salt.
Preparing the jollof rice:
10. Rinse the rice with water to get rid of excess starch.
11. Add three cups of water to the boiling mixture in the pot.
12. Carefully add the rice to the mixture.
13. Taste the mixture to confirm if you need to add extra salt and pepper to it. If necessary, do so.
14. Add two more cups of water to the contents of the pot.
15. Furthermore, add the remaining seasoning cube and crayfish to the contents of the pot.
16. Add another cup of water to the pot, and allow the contents to boil.
17. While the contents of the pot heat up, check the rice for softness, and add water at intervals until the rice is fully cooked.
18. When the water in the rice has evaporated (dried up), stir the contents of the pot from bottom to top and from side to side entirely.
19. Take down the pot of Students’ jollof rice from the heat source, and boil the egg.
20. When the egg is fully cooked, unshell it.
21. Dish the amount of food you intend to eat on a plate, and put the unshelled egg on the plate of Students’ jollof rice.
PRECAUTIONS TO OBSERVE WHEN PREPARING STUDENTS’ JOLLOF RICE:
1. Avoid stirring the food excessively and unnecessarily when cooking to prevent the food from burning. If possible, use a wooden spoon instead of a metallic spoon to stir the food as metals are good conductors of heat and are more likely to make the food burn.
2. Taste and check the quality of the food before adding more water, salt, and pepper to it. Failure to do this will result in watery, salty, or excessively spicy food.
3. Ensure there is even distribution of heat to the pot while cooking.
4. Make sure the surrounding area in which you are preparing the food is clean and free from harmful objects.
5. Remember to turn off the gas or stove you used as a heat source to prevent fire hazards.
CONCLUSION:
With this article, I hope you have been apprised of a new meal you could eat as well as taught how to prepare it whenever you are hungry. Happy eating!
