Contest - Show Your Culinary Skill - Mymasterchefdish | Jollof Rice by ahbaz

"Cooking is an art, learn the basics and create your result".

This is a quote I coined after a series of different experiences in the kitchen.

It is obvious that the probability of having the cooking experience as someone else is zero; it's that originality that gives a special difference.

True, everyone has a secret for every food. It could be an additional ingredient, timing, a short prayer or the use of potent magic. Whatever magic is done is least important compared to the result placed on a dining table filled with people and hungry bellies.

My love for rice made me go deep into exploring other ways of cooking it, while doing this I focused on different recipes for jollof rice these recipes invented by me. I believe that what makes my food different is not necessarily the ingredient since they are always about 80% the same. My secret is my method of mixing these ingredients.

My MasterChef dish this week is the popular Nigerian Jollof Rice
Below are 2 different images of jollof rice prepared in two different ways.

A common quote says, "necessity is the father of invention" and this I have proved so many times in the process of preparing food items to be devoured on the table.

✅ What was your inspiration for your dish?

Being used to the normal preparation of jollof rice in my house, a type of familiarity where one can already know how the food will taste and look that there is nothing to excite the brain about the food one is about to eat. I believe that food should not only feed the stomach but also excite the consumer, and in all bring a kind of joy and relief to the body of the eater. This was my inspiration.

✅ What are your favourite flavours and how did you incorporate them into your dish?

One of the new recipes I invented stands solely on the addition of ginger and garlic. I realized that there is a special taste gotten when ginger and garlic are mixed. These flavours have great natural benefits for man and not much disadvantage if consumed in minimum quantity and not in excess. To get the best from these flavours I add them while frying my pepper-tomato-onion mix. When added to this mix, its taste stands out more than when put in boiling water.

✅ What was the most challenging part of creating your dish?

My most challenging part was in the place of blending the tomato, pepper and onion as this blended mix is important for the promotion of the taste of my ginger and garlic flavour. In a situation where there is no power supply to use to blend these ingredients since I mainly use the electric blender, it automatically changes the outcome of my food starting from the taste to the looks.

✅ How did you ensure that your dish was both creative and delicious?

I ensured the retainment of the food's creativity and looks by slicing ingredients that require slicing well to avoid big chewable parts and also grinding whatever needs to be ground well too. An example is in the ground crayfish as I love putting crayfish).

Also, knowing the total amount of ingredients to put as a mistake of salt or even pepper, tomato or any ingredient can automatically change the creative idea behind the food.

Everyone cook jollof rice but mine is surely different. I take pride in cooking time and the secret ingredient, uhmm I can't tell you because it is a secret but you should surely taste it.

Another outstanding thing about my jollof rice is that it remains fresh for as long as it stays, and tastes the same after being in a flask or hot plate. It neither becomes too strong nor all watery but it remains beautiful even when cooled.

I invite @favour11 , @fortwis09 , @maryamnadeem to participate in this contest.