“I have a confession,” says Remi Idowu, author of Sugar & Spice: Flavour-packed dinners and desserts to crave. “I believe fried rice deserves just as much love as jollof rice, if not more. It’s quicker, arguably tastier and definitely gets a boost in the ‘healthy’ department (thanks to all those veggies, right?). Cooking the rice in chicken stock adds an extra depth of flavour that takes it up a notch. The sausage and prawns? Totally optional, but that’s how my mum always made it for us, and it’s a tradition worth keeping.”
Method
1 Heat 1.5 tablespoons of the oil in a large pot. Check if it’s hot enough by tossing in a few grains of rice – if they sizzle, you’re good to go. Add all the rice and the garlic granules and toast, stirring, for 3–5 minutes until the rice starts to smell nu ty. Pour in the stock, then reduce the heat, cover with a lid and cook gently for about 20–25 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
2 Meanwhile, heat a little more of the oil in a separate pot, add the onion and cook until softened. Add the hot dog sausages and the king prawns. Cook until the prawns just turn pink, then quickly remove the prawns with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3 Add the frozen vegetables to the onion in the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes until any water has evaporated. Crumble in the chicken stock cube and add the thyme and curry powder, stirring well.
4 Return the cooked rice to the pot, mixing it thoroughly with the seasoned vegetables. Season with salt to taste, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Cook for about 20–25 minutes to allow all the flavours to meld.
5 Fold the prawns into the rice just before serving, for that final touch.
Get involved
Remi Idowu is a content creator, recipe developer and cookbook author. Recipe taken from her debut book, Sugar & Spice: Flavour-packed dinners and desserts to crave.
