📍Enugu, Nigeria

Naija party fried rice. The one that makes you forget about jollof. This is the real MVP of every owambe.

I grew up in Lagos, but this recipe is pure Port Harcourt influence - my aunty from Rivers state taught me that the secret is in the liver and the curry. No party fried rice is complete without that smoky, buttery taste.

INGREDIENTS:
- 4 cups long grain parboiled rice (no basmati here. use Uncle Ben's or Mama Gold)
- 500g chicken or turkey (for stock)
- 250g cow liver (nkoobi or shaki liver - trust me)
- 1 cup green peas (fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup carrots (diced small. small)
- 1 cup green beans (chopped)
- 1 cup sweet corn
- 1 large onion (sliced)
- 2 red bell peppers (tatashe) + 2 scotch bonnet (ata rodo) - blended
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup sliced green bell pepper (optional for color)
- 2 tablespoons curry powder (more if you want that yellow glow)
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 2 seasoning cubes
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 cup cooked and diced liver (boiled liver, diced small)

STEP-BY-STEP:

1. Parboil the rice the normal way. Drain. Set aside. Do NOT overcook.

2. Boil your chicken or turkey with one onion, salt, and one seasoning cube. When tender, remove the meat. Keep the stock.

Use that stock to cook the rice. This is where the flavor lives.

3. In a large pot, heat the oil. Add the sliced onion. Fry until translucent. Then add the blended peppers (tatashe and scotch bonnet). Fry for 5 minutes on medium heat until the raw smell disappears.

4. Add curry, thyme, and seasoning cubes. Stir well. This is the moment the aroma hits your whole kitchen.

5. Pour in the chicken stock (about 4 cups for 4 cups of rice). Add the parboiled rice. Stir. Cover and cook on low heat until the liquid is absorbed. About 20 minutes.

6. While the rice cooks, boil the liver in salted water with a pinch of curry. Dice into tiny cubes. Fry lightly in oil for 3 minutes.

7. When the rice is almost done, add the diced liver, carrots, green beans, peas, and sweet corn. Fold gently. Do NOT stir like jollof. You want each grain intact.

8. Cover again. Allow to steam for 5 minutes. Then add the sliced green bell pepper for that fresh crunch.

9. Turn off the heat. Let it rest for 3 minutes. Then fluff with a fork.

My mama taught me that the liver is non-negotiable. It gives that deep umami that makes people go back for a third scoop.

Serve with coleslaw, fried plantain (dodo), and moin moin. Or just eat it straight from the pot like I do.

This rice is golden. Literally.

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