By: Kehinde Owoeye, Lagos
Have you ever wondered that Ofada rice is commonly served in Nigerian parties?
In contemporary times, it is sometimes served at classy parties. Ofada rice can also be eaten as breastfast, lunch or dinner at home.
One of the major types of rice grown in Nigeria is called ‘Ofada rice’.
Ofada rice is a Yoruba dish, commonly known as indigenous rice from a small community called Ofada in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.
It was not exclusively grown in the community, but it was an indigenous rice grown in southwest Nigeria whereas named after the Ofada community. The indigenous rice is used in making a variety of dishes.
Meanwhile, Ofada rice are mostly blends, and some of the rice varieties in the blends are not indigenous to Africa; which they usually contain African rice.
It is grown almost exclusively in Ogun State,a state in the southwestern Nigeria.
Ofada rice is grown on free-draining soil where the water table is permanently below the root of the plant.
This variety got its name from the fact that it was grown and processed in the South-West Nigerian villages of Ofada – and other rice-producing villages.
The crop was first grown in Abeokuta, Ogun State, and was introduced through missionary activities between the 1850s and 1970s.
From there, it was spread to the Lagos region in Epe and Okitipupa; then, it was moved to Ogoja and Abakaliki provinces after the Second World War; and finally, spread across the Sahara and to Northern Nigeria via the Trans-Saharan trade.
Thus, it unique tastes and aroma of the variety which makes it more popular than other local varieties with distinct taste when cooked.
Ofada rice is traditionally served in a leaf called uma leaf botanically known as (Thaumatococcus daniellii), which add beauty to it, with a sauce of atarodo (spicy) and tatase (sweet) pepper, onion, locust beans, palm oil, and meat.
It is a festive meal rather than an everyday type of food for most Nigerians but it is an everyday street food for the towns of Ikenne and Ilisan in Ogun state.
It is also often served along with a vegetable stew that may contain locust beans as an ingredient.
It is mostly served with ayamase stew or obe-ata-iru, both specially prepared for Ofada rice consumption.
Therefore, Ofada stew is a local dish which originated from the southern part of Nigeria. Ofada stew is otherwise known as ata dindin.
Unripe habanero peppers (atarodo), unripe tatashe peppers or green bell peppers, locust bean seasoning (iru or ogiri), red palm oil, onions, crayfish, assorted meat and fish, beef, shaki (cow tripe), dry fish, and stock fish are the ingredients for making Ofada stew.
However, ‘Ayamase’, better known as ofada sauce, is a stew made with palm oil similar to ofada stew except it is made from green ball peppers which give the soup a unique taste.
Ofada rice is notorious for its dirtiness and stone contents though the quality has improved tremendously in recent times, now they are sold in small packets and they do not contain as much dirt as before.
Ingredients:
(i) 2 Cups Ofada Rice
(ii) Water
(iii) Salt to taste
Preparation:
Step 1:
Pick the stones and dirt from the Ofada rice.
Note: You need to be careful as Ofada rice is known to be very dirty and full of stones.
Step 2:
Pour the rice into a bowl, wash repeatedly, see how dirty the water looks.
Step 3:
Rinse till the water runs clean.
Step 4:
Add 4 Cups of water, allow to cook on low-to-medium heat for 12 minutes.
Step 5:
Take the rice off the heat and rinse out the starch till water runs clean.
Step 6:
Add 1 cup of water and cook till it soften.
You will need to check on it every now and then to prevent burning or sogginess.
When it is soft, take it off the heat and if you end up with liquid after the rice is fully cooked, drain in a coolander.
Do not cover the pot throughout!
However, There are two kinds of Ofada Stew, one is made with Green Bell Peppers while the other is made with Red Bell Peppers.
The one made with red bell peppers is known as Ofada sauce while the one made with green bell peppers is popularly called ‘Ayamase’.
Ingredients For Ayamase:
700g Assorted Meats
5 Green Bell Peppers (Tatashe)
1.5 Cups of Palm Oil
2-3 Scotch tegories
Ofada stew, Obe Ata Dindin – Ofada Sauce
Ofada Stew is a popular Nigerian Stew peculiar to the Yoruba tribe of Western Nigeria though now enjoyed by other tribes as well.
Therefore, without Ofada Sauce or Ayamase Ofada rice can not be enjoyed.
Ingredients For Ofada Stew:
(i) 20 pcs of unripe habanero peppers (atarodo, ose oyibo, atarugu)
(ii) 2 green tatashe peppers or green bell peppers
(iii) 1 locust beans seasoning (Iru, ogiri okpei or dawadawa)
(iv) 20cl red palm oil (at least)
(v) 1 big Onion
(vi) 1 handful crayfish
(vii) 850g assorted meat and fish.
(viii) Beef
(ix) Shaki (cow tripe)
(x) Dry fish
(xi) Stock fish
Preparation:
Before you cook Ofada Stew
Step 1:
Wash and blend the peppers and the onion.
Remember to remove the seeds from the green tatashe or the green bell peppers.
Step 2:
Grind the crayfish and the locust bean seasoning with a dry mill.
Step 3:
Cook all the meat and fish with the stock cube till it is well done.
Step 4:
Pour the pepper blend into a separate pot and cook on high heat till all the water dries up.
Step 5:
Pour the red palm oil into a clean dry pot and bleach till it turns clear.
Step 6:
It should look like vegetable oil when done.
It take can 12 minutes on low to medium heat to bleach.
But time may vary depending on the type of heater you have and the quantity of oil.
Step 7:
Leave the oil to cool down a bit then add the boiled pepper puree.
Step 8:
Fry till all the water has dried from the pepper.
Step 9:
Add the crayfish and locust bean seasoning, the varities of meats and fishes and stir well.
Step 10:
Add salt to taste, leave to simmer and it is ready to be served.
Health Benefits Of Ofada Rice:
(a) It Contains A Lot On Antioxidants
Antioxidants in Ofada rice is 20-30 times more than that in white rice.
Antioxidants helps to prevent the damage to the system caused by free radicals.
Free radicals are unstable molecules that are produced in your cells during your own metabolism which could cause healthy cells to mutate.
The Intake of foods and drinks that can neutralise these free radicals are highly encouraged.
(b) It Fights Diabetes
(c) It is recommended of calorie management in health conditions such as diabetes because of the cellulose and fibre content of Ofada rice.
(d) It Prevents Constipation
A healthy digestive system is a good thing.
Ofada rice contains a whole lot of dietary fibre which fight constipation, diarrhoea, bloating and other gastrointestinal cancers such as gastric ulcers.
(e) It Good For Bone Health
Essential minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and folate are contained in ofada rice.
(f) They also help in the absorption of other bone health nutrients required to nurture your bones and prevent bone diseases.
(g) It Boosts The immune System
The presence of vitamins and minerals such as vitamins A, C, and E helps to make the body stronger and immune booster for strength against certain diseases.
(h) Ofada rice also contains three times more vitamin B and 10 times more vitamin B1 and B6 than white rice.
(i) It Lowers Bad Cholesterol Levels
The high amount of dietary fibres in Ofada lowers (LDL ) cholesterol levels which are responsible for excessive weight gain due to insulin resistance.
Meanwhile, you can serve your boiled Ofada Rice and Ofada Sauce with plate or uma leaves to get the full enjoyment!
