Cook Fried Rice with 2k Feed 4 People (Step by Step )

This article will show you how to cook a delicious pot of Fried rice with just two thousand Naira. If you are a lover of fried rice but you are also of the notion that you need at least 4thousand naira to cook a delicious pot of fried rice, well you are wrong. In present Nigeria, the rate food prices are going up is scary, it is like you every time you go to the market the price changes. For people who like to eat good food, it can be sad to see that you can't afford to buy the type of food that you want.  

To achieve this budget-friendly dish, I will be sharing 2 things.

1) Ingredients and prices. 

2) Process of cooking.

Ingredients and Prices. 

Nigeria operates an open market system, so one can haggle the price of ingredients. This price list of the lowest price you can buy ingredients in most markets. For your dish, you will need the following ingredients at the stated prices. 

1) Beef: 500 Naira

2) Liver: 200 Naira

3) 1 Derica of Rice: 400 Naira

4) 3 Sachet of Budget Vegetable Oil: 300 Naira

5) Carrots: 100 Naira

6) Green pepper: 200 Naira

7) Curry & Thyme: 50Naira

8) chicken-flavoured seasoning cubes: 50 Naira

9) Onions: 100 Naira

Total:  N 1900

Change: N100

Process of Cooking

The process of cooking this fried rice is very simple, all you need is your multitasking ability. If you follow the steps directly you will get the exact taste you need.

Let's begin!

Start with the beef and Liver.

Beef: Carefully rinse the beef with water, the beef should have been cut into pieces at the market so you don't need to cut it anymore. Add the rinsed beef into a medium-sized pot, then season it with 3 seasoning cubes, slice a ball of onions into it, and 1/3 tablespoon of salt. once you've added all these seasonings, add a cup of water to the pot and set it on medium heat. Cover the pot with its lid and let it cook for 30-40mins.

Liver: Just like the beef, the liver should be cut into pieces at the market by the seller, if not you should cut it into desired pieces. Rinse the pieces of liver carefully and put them in a small pot, add to the pot 1 seasoning cube, slice half a ball of onions into the pot, and half a teaspoon of salt. Add half a cup of water to the pot and place the pot on medium heat, cook for 25-30mins.

Preparation for the Fried Rice: While the Beef and Liver are cooking you should do the following. 

Wash with water and scrape the first layer of the Carrots, then dice the carrots into small pieces. 

Wash the green pepper, and cut it into sizeable pieces.

Take 2 big balls of Onions and Slice them. 

By the time you are through with cutting and slicing the vegetables, the Liver and Beef should be well cooked.

Place small fry pan on medium heat and add all the 3 sachets of vegetable oil into the pan, while the oil heats up, drain the beef and liver stock into a bowl (we will use it later), and add all the pieces of beef to the hot oil gently. The beef should be an average of 7 pieces so it won't be too much for the oil.  Let each side of your beef fry for 7 mins till both sides look crispy and a little deeper than golden brown then you can take them out. 

While the beef is frying, add the diced carrots into a small pot, then add a tablespoon of sugar and a cup of water to the pot. Place the pot on medium heat and let the water boil till it reaches boiling point. 

Simultaneously dice the liver into small sizes and set aside. Make sure the Beef is properly fried and the Carrots are well sweetened. 

Fry the Veggies

Simply because you are cooking on a budget you have to learn to manage your ingredients. Place a clean fry pan or small pot on medium heat, take 1 cooking spoon of vegetable oil from the oil you used to fry the beef and add to the pot. let the oil heat up then add half of the 2 onions that were sliced to the oil.

While the onions are frying take a big pot and fill more than half of it with water, place it on medium heat, and let it boil. Remember to continue stirring your onions till it is golden brown, then add the green peppers, carrots and diced liver to the frying onions. Season it with one seasoning cube, 2 pinches of salt and half a teaspoon of curry and thyme. Let the veggies fry for the next 5mins, then take it off the heat and set aside.

Cooking the Fried Rice 

Once the water reaches boiling point, rinse your rice twice and add it to the boiling water, add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the boiling content and cover the pot, let the rice parboil for the next 15mins. 

After parboiling for 15mins, drain the rice with a big sieve and let all the hot water go. 

Take a big pot, If you don't have an extra big pot, quickly wash the one you just used to parboil the rice and use it for the next process.

Set the big pot on medium heat, and add the remaining vegetable oil you used to fry the beef to the pot and let the oil heat up. Once the oil is hot, add the remaining sliced onions to the oil and stir continuously, let the onion become golden brown then add the drained rice to the oil and onion.

Once you add the rice to the vegetable oil, stir the rice continuously for the next 5mins. After 5mins add the beef and liver stock to the rice and stir the rice properly again. reduce heat to low heat and season. 

To season, add 4 seasoning cubes, 1 tablespoon of curry and thyme each to the rice, and half a teaspoon of salt to taste, if you don't like too much salt then you can add a quarter of a teaspoon of salt to the rice, then stir again. 

Add a quarter of a cup of water to the rice stir again lightly and cover the pot tightly. cook for the next 3mins. After 3mins add the fried veggie to the rice and spread it over the rice and cover it for the next 3 mins. If all works well in the next 6-8mins the rice should be well cooked and the water should be dried. If not, add a quarter of a cup of water to the rice and let it cook properly, Once it is properly cooked, mix the rice and veggies well and your fried rice is cooked. 

Dish yourself some fried rice and fried beef and you are eating like a king.

Writer: Idowu Elizabeth

Editor (s): Idowu Elizabeth & Awe Olufunso

Publisher: Awe Olufunso