Top 10 Nigerian dishes for dinner
Nigeria is a unique country in many terms. It is not just the most populated in Africa, but it also boasts delicious Nigerian dishes for dinner that can make any family full and happy. Let us talk about modern Nigerian cuisine and figure out which dishes are the most popular as dinner meal ideas.
Nigerian cuisine
Since the country has many different ethnic groups, its cuisine is very interesting and authentic. Nigerians love to cook nutritious dishes for dinner that include different herbs, spices, oil, and often rice, plantain, vegetables as well as meat.
It is true that millions of Nigerians prefer eating meat for dinner that is why the best Nigerian dishes for dinner include meat-based soups, tasty sauces, aromatic barbecues, porridge, creamy stew, and deep fried snacks.
What are the top 10 Nigerian dishes eaten for dinner? Let us look at the most popular and delicious dinner ideas you will fall in love with even if you do not live in Nigeria or another African country.
Nigerian food dinner ideas: Top 10 meals your family will love
There is no particular order in our selection of Nigerian food good for dinner. These are just 10 best dishes many Nigerians love to eat during the week and on weekends.
1. Fish and yam stew
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The best part about this tasty meal idea is how quickly you can prepare it. Unlike some complicated Nigerian meals, the stew made from fish and yam is simple to cook and not-time-consuming at all. You will need to use any fish you have (better fresh one), yam, vegetables of your choice and spices you love the most.
Yam, once boiled, is wonderful with tomatoes, peppers, onions. If you can steam some fish your dinner will be amazing.
P.S. Some families call this Nigerian cuisine idea ‘Fish sauce’ instead of stew.
2. Beef and spaghetti stew
Who doesn’t love spaghetti? Millions of families not just from Nigeria but from all over the planet make spaghetti for dinner and add different extras to make them taste unique. Nigerians, for example, love cooking spaghetti and eating their dinner with beef stew.
This Nigerian food is good for dinner because it is quick to make. You will have to boil spaghetti just like you normally do. Your stew will taste awesome if you can steam a nice piece of beef along with vegetables (onions, pepper, tomatoes, seasoning cube, spices) and mix your cooked meat with spaghetti.
3. Rice and meat with vegetables
Nigerian cuisine is often using rice as the main ingredient for the meal. Making rice and vegetable soup can be a perfect idea for a tasty, nutritious and healthy dinner.
You can cook the rice separately. Then prepare your vegetables with a piece of meat or fish (pepper, onions, beans) by steaming them altogether or separately. Place a bit of rice plus vegetables on the plate, add a piece of cooked fish or meat and your unique Nigerian dinner is ready to enjoy.
4. Semovita with okra soup
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This food is also one of the best Nigerian dishes for dinner. It might take some time to cook, but the result is worth it. You will end up with a traditional national meal.
Cooking dinner extras from semovita powder are also popular in Nigeria. You can make tasty okra soup with fish, okra, spices, and vegetables. Serve your main meal (soup) with semovita (you can virtually divide your plate into two halves) and enjoy a tasty meal that will easily make you full.
5. Plantain porridge
Being one of the top Nigerian meals, this porridge is also easy to cook. It is rich on vitamins and will make you full in the evening. By the way, plantains are extremely popular in Nigeria because this product can be cooked with many different dishes thanks to a big number of tasty recipes known all across the country.
Anyways, you just need some unripe plantains, onions, ugwu leaves, pepper, seasoning cube or two, spices you like and fish to prepare the most delicious plantain porridge ever. Boil plantains with other vegetables and add fish in the end to make healthy porridge. You’ll love this meal once it is ready.
6. Suya
This kebab meal is often made for dinner in Nigeria, but you can also easily purchase it from street vendors.
The meal is made from vegetables, peanuts, beef steak, mushrooms, and other ingredients. You’ll have to marinate your beef and then cook it on the grill. If you wish to add some dressing, just make a healthy vegetable salad or cut a couple of fresh vegetables and enjoy your delicious dinner in a family circle or with your friends.
7. Nkwobi
This curious meal is also on our list of top Nigerian dishes to eat for dinner. The unusual name stands for a specially cooked cow foot. The meal is spicy just like many other local foods, and it is considered a real delicacy that can be made at home for different celebrations.
The dinner is not difficult to make. You should simply cook the foot (of course, it has to be cut into pieces) with your favorite spices and onions in palm oil. Serve alone or with a vegetable salad.
8. Jollof rice
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This is another favorite meal of Nigerians who love to have meat and rice for dinner. Usually, this dish is made on birthdays, Christmas and different holidays and celebrations. It is very popular all across the country, among different tribes.
You mix chicken with seasonal cubes, vegetables, tomato stew, and rice, cook the dish and let your family and friends (or party guests) enjoy the awesome dinner idea you have turned into a fantastic reality.
9. Beans porridge
Yoruba people and other Nigerian tribes love to cook beans for dinner. This might not be an everyday meal, but it is perfect if you can make it once or several times a month. This way your Nigerian cuisine will look different to you and offer multiple vitamins, useful elements and everything needed for a healthy lifestyle.
The porridge is made by boiling beans, adding spices (pepper, crayfish, etc.) to this main ingredient and cutting some potatoes or yam to add a special flavor to your beans meal.
10. Balangu Jollof
This dinner meal is popular in Nigerian families that love rice. Made of any type of meat you love (goat, beef, etc.), this type of dish is made smoky and extra delicious. It is a popular delicacy among Fulani and Hausa tribes.
What you have to do is to fry your meat with onions and tomato paste. Add some popular spices (thyme and yaji, for example), mix with white rice and cook until ready. To add the ‘smoky’ flavor you can put your meal into foil and steam for a while. Such balangu is super tasty.
We have shared the top 10 Nigerian food dinner ideas, and you can make any of the meals described in our post at home on weekends or in the evening.
Bon appetit!
READ ALSO: Intercontinental dishes in Nigeria
Source: Legit.ng
