My 8yr 10 month old son loves Iru. He would pick out iru from soup just to eat it separately. It’s funny because at his age, I detested Iru, I would pick it and throw it out of my food. Now I enjoy it. For some Iru is an acquire taste, like black olives, kimchi or blue cheese. But it adds flavour and character to alot of local yoruba delicacies.

There are so many versions of native jollof, for many versions of palm oil rice, this is native rice yoruba style because Iru (fermented locust beans) is added.

Recipe

Ingredients (serves 4 – 5)

• 4 Cups Long Grain Rice
• 2 cups Tomato/Pepper base (use a ratio of tomato/pepper/onions that suits you)
• 2 tbsp crayfish powder
• 1 medium sized onions chopped
• 2 tbsp Iru (fermented locust beans)
• A handful of smoked fish and stock fish
• 1 cup palm oil
• Some Efinrin leaves chopped (scent leaves)
• Salt to taste
• 2 seasoning cubes
• Water (roughly 6 cups)

Procedure

Cook time is about 30 – 35 minutes

• Place a clean pot on heat and heat palm oil up slightly
• Add chopped onions and iru and fry till onions are tender
• Add tomato/pepper blend and season with crayfish powder, salt, seasoning cubes, add half of the chopped efinrin.
• Allow to cook for about 15 minutes on medium heat, till the water is completely reduced.
• Add rice, smoked and stock fish and water.
• Continue to cook on medium heat.
• When the water level has dropped below the rice surface, cover the rice with a tin foil or moinmoin leaves, then put the lid on to trap the steam. Turn the heat to low and leave the rice to cook through.
• Once the water is dried, stir the rice to even it out and add the rest of your Efinrin leaves.

Serve hot and enjoy.

• Rice Dishes