Vegetables are the best things we can eat for our bodies and overall wellbeing. Nigeria is a West African country with a vast variety of ethnic communities as well as a wide variety of rich culinary traditions. While Nigerians have a great love for meat and fish, there are great Nigerian vegetarian foods that you might want to try. Whether you’re curious about healthy Nigerian dishes or looking to eat tasty vegetarian foods more this year, this article is perfect for you.
Moi Moi
Moi Moi is a popular Nigerian dish that utilizes and maximizes beans. The beans are steamed in leaves or little bowls. This gives the food a unique taste that will blow your taste buds. It can be garnished with flaked fish and boiled eggs, but since fish is not a vegetarian diet, the vegetarian option perfectly goes with eggs.
Jollof Rice
This is another popular food in Nigeria that’s eaten in almost every household in the country. It involves the preparation of rice together with ingredients such as tomato, pepper, onion, and other spices. Jollof rice can be served with a few vegetables.
Beans and Plantain
A trip to Nigeria is incomplete without tasting this food. Nigerians love beansand plantain and they’re an abundance of them in the country. This food is made as portage and may include other ingredients to enhance the taste.
Edikaikong
This is a dry leafy vegetable that’s very popular in the Cross River of Nigeria. The leafy greens are a mixture of pumpkin leaf (ugwu) and waterleaf (gbure), which are both rich in iron. The dish can be served with pounded yam, eba, or fufu.
Ewa Agoyin
This is mashed steamed beans with dark, smoky dried pepper sauce. Ewa simply means beans in Yoruba and Agoyin refers to the Beninoise people who brought about this dish. This is a super delicious, flavorful dish. You can enjoy it with boiled yam, or plantains.
Okra Soup
Also known as Okro, Okra soup is made with okra and spinach. Okra is cut into tiny pieces to ensure it’s fully cooked and achieve a thicker soup.
Asaro (Yam Porridge)
This is a delicious dish popular in the southwestern part of Nigeria. It’s made with boiled yams which have a great significance to the Yoruba tribe and are slightly mashed with palm oil, tomatoes, pepper stock cubes, and other ingredients. Asaro can be eaten at any time of the day.
Garri/Eba
Garri is a popular Nigerian food made from dried, grated cassava flour combined with warm water to make a dough that can be rolled into a ball. It’s considered Nigerian bread and its preparation involves soaking and fermenting the mixture, grinding frying, and drying it for storage.
Couscous
Couscous is a pantry staple in many African kitchens and around the world. It’s made from ground durum wheat or semolina and is an ideal dish for just about any vegetable. It’s chewy and has a firm texture.
Beans Porridge
This is a healthy comfort Nigerian food that can be made with three main bean varieties including honey beans, black-eyed peas, and Nigerian brown beans. The honey beans are commonly used due to their unique and slightly sweet taste that elevates the taste of the dish.
Finally
Nigerian food is a rich African cuisine that you should try. The tasty Nigerian vegetarian foods are a must-try due to their rich, diverse flavors. The wide variety of vegetables, spices, and other ingredients such as beans, and yam among others, give these dishes a unique and tasty appeal.
Moi Moi, a Side Order You Should Always Add to Your Menu