When asked ‘What is your favourite meal?’ In the past, I was always thrown aback as I cannot place a finger on a specific dish that stands out above all else but knew for sure that I love rice.
As a child growing up, when taken to a restaurant and asked what I would love to have my only response would be ‘rice’. At the time I felt one can never go wrong with that choice though with other choices you might be gambling with your taste bud’s reaction to food.
‘Oh! She will outgrow it (said my parents) as she grows older.’
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I guess I am not older enough, cus I’m still here (loving this nonspecific array of a common but interesting meal).
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Not saying I haven't tried badly prepared rice dishes that have me rethinking requesting for it again. Though I know this for sure- a badly prepared rice dish can still be savoured. That's how much I love my rice.
Choosing a particular rice dish that I love the most would be me trying to find a needle in a haystack and who would want to go through that? Me! Why? I would love to travel around the world trying out different recipes of rice as seen in the borrowed pictures below. It might be futile trying to find my favourite from them as I know I would love them individually as long as they are spiced properly, prepared with soul and delicious.
‘#News flash! Deliciously prepared rice delicacy of all sorts is my favourite meal.’
Whether less rice or more rice, long or short rice, grounded in a mix or whole, mashed or loosed, cooked/ baked or fried as long as it is called rice and prepared with the right ingredients to make a sumptuous and delicious dish... Count me in.
‘Rice pudding’ is said to have originated from #Britain and #Ireland with the earliest rice pudding recipes called ##whitepot and ##date from the Tudor period. Though it's ingredients came from #Africa.
Rice pudding is a dish made from rice mixed with water or milk. Garnished with fruits like blackberries, and strawberries and additional ingredients such as cinnamon, vanilla and raisins. It is usually used for desserts or dinners. Don't you just love the milky savoury taste you feel from just looking at it!
#Brazilian shrimp stuffed pumpkin and white rice:- consisting of a creamy shrimp stew that is served inside a large pumpkin on the side of cooked rice.
It is believed to have originated in the 40s, on the coast of São Paulo, in a city called Bertioga.
It has an interesting origin storyline of a pumpkin falling from a carriage for prisoners into a river. Which was later found with shrimps inside it after it was excavated from the water by a woman named Dona Zenaide (the owner of a restaurant by the beach) Who made a delicacy of it.
#Cuba:- Mojo chicken or ropa vieja with white rice. Beef with bell peppers and green olives in the best tomato-based sauce served with boiled white rice. One more plus is, an easy to whip up meal on any given weeknight.
#Costa #ricca - Gallo pinto (black beans and white rice in an aromatitic sofrito) It is a traditional dish from central America with rice and beans as a base. It has a long history which is an important identity and culture of Nicaraguan; just as rice and beans variations are equally important to many Latin American culture.
#Thailand - Mango sticky rice is a Southeast/ South Asian dessert made with rice and fresh mango and coconut milk. Due to its traditional origin it is usually eaten with the hands.
#Greece - Avgolemono soup (chicken and rice soup) Fall in love with this rich, silky lemon scented chicken and rice sauce.
It is one of those home remedy to comfort the sick or relief the cold chill in the air.
#India - Chicken tikka masala with basmati rice. Is a creamy, spiced curry and tender chicken sauce.
While this dish can be found in many Indian restaurants around the world. It has been argued by the most popular origin story that places its roots in Scotland when a Bengali chef had to improvise speedily. The dish embraces the diverse and ancient heritage of the islands.
#Japan - sushi 🍣, onigiris, bento boxes
The first thing to note is that ‘sushi’ does not mean ‘raw fish’. It is rather a dish of rice fermented with vinegar and salt served with various toppings and fillings which may include raw fish.
history of sushi began with paddy fields, where fish was fermented with vinegar, salt and rice, after which the rice was discarded. The earliest form of ...
#Korea - Korean beef lettuce wraps
#Nigeria - Nigerian Jellof rice which has a little similarity with Mexican and Ghanaian though unsure if they taste alike. It is a colorfully tasty and well spiced rice; that has you asking for seconds. Jollof rice can be traced to the Senegambia region that was ruled by Wolof or Jolof empire. A woman who lived close to Senegal Delta river substituted rice for barley and prepared the first Jollof using rice, vegetables, fish and tomatoes.
To mention a few.
The last but not the least and one I love to prepare the most asides; jellof rice, coconut rice and white rice with varieties of rudiments on the side (banga stew, vegetable sauce and tomatoes stew...)
Drum rolls please... 🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🍗🍖 🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁... You guessed right... FRIED RICE!😅
Where is FRIED RICE truly from? Half way I thought it was a delicacy made in Nigeria until from my research I discovered that It began with Chao Fan (Chinese for fried rice). Starting from Chinese civilizations, this dish has become a family favourite recipe worldwide that has been reinvented with all kinds of ingredients – which is your instant go-to rice recipe at home.
China - Fried rice
Here are a few varieties below:
- Miso Fried Rice
- Shrimp and Bacon Fried Rice
- Chicken Fried Rice
- Pad Thai Fried Rice
Fried Rice Ingredients
- 2 cups of partly boiled rice
- 1/2 cup chicken/beef stock
- 3 tbsp oil or margarine for frying
- 1 cup diced onions
- 1 cup each of mixed Vegetables - Carrots, green pepper, green peas, green beans and sweet corn
- 1/2 tablespoon thyme
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 2 cups of cubed chicken
- 1 cup cubed beef liver
- 2 seasoning cubes
- salt to taste
- 1/4 tablespoon Cayenne pepper
- Two cloves of red pepper (atarado) because I like the pop of red color it gives to the dish.
First, boil the rice in the chicken or beef stock on low heat for 5 minutes or till it is slightly soft. So that the stock is absorbed in the rice. Then strain in a stainless sieve and kept on the side.
Then, place an empty pan on the cooker, then you either pour in ‘one and half tablespoon of oil’ OR ‘squeeze out a little chunk of margarine’ onto the slightly hot pan with half a tablespoon of curry powder, a quarter tablespoon of thyme, one seasoning cube and a pinch of salt.
You stir the mix quickly and add your diced vegetables starting with your diced red pepper and onions then rounding off the vegetables with carrot, green beans, green peas and green pepper. I like the aroma that gives off.
Almost immediately, your diced chicken and beef liver which has already been boiled before dicing will be added to the entire mix of vegetables and steered for a bit then kept aside.
Get a pot that can contain the entire meal then place it on the cooker.
Pour in the remaining one and half tablespoon of oil OR a squeezed out chunk of margarine into the slightly hot pot. Pour in the remaining half spoon of curry, a quarter spoon of thyme, a cube of seasoning and a pinch of salt to taste which gives off such a lovely aroma.
Then, pour in your strained stock cooked rice into the pot and stir with a wooden spatula till it blends in properly and finally add your steamed vegetable and chicken mix.
After staring it add the little stock water that has been strained to it to cook for a bit. Then serve hot. Voila!!!
Wasn’t that simple 😉
This is written as regards the contest in ecency support community answering this question:
‘What is your favourite meal?’
Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to comment on your best take from the above. #hugs