Christmas season of 2015 has already arrived, which means we’ll spend the next few weeks planning our Christmas festivities, decorating the house, buying clothes to spend Christmas Eve in, looking for presents for our loved ones on JiJi, and, of course, preparing the perfect Christmas dinner. Every family’s Christmas traditions are different: some prefer to have a quiet celebration in a family circle, while other prefer large and loud parties that gather all relatives and friends around. Whatever your Christmas partying style is, you’ll definitely need some ideas of what to prepare for your guests, and we are here to help you!
Have a perfect Christmas with JiJi
Snacks
Every fun Christmas celebration starts with traditional Nigerian snacks!
Meat pie
What’s great about meat pies is that they can be made in advance and stored in a freezer for at least a month, which means you can do them this weekend and simply freeze them until Christmas Eve. Everyone’s favourite filling is a mixture of ground meat, potatoes, carrots, and seasonings, although you can experiment with fillings to your taste.
Chin Chin and Puff Puff
Fans of crunchy, deep fried snacks will definitely appreciate these two dishes. Puff Puff is made of flour, yeast, sugar and nutmeg. The mixture is formed into small balls and cooked in a fryer. Chin Chin is made of flour, powdered milk, sugar, butter, and spices. The process is similar to Puff Puff, although Chin Chin is usually smaller in size and has irregular shape.
Go to page 2 for main courses and desserts!
Main courses
This is what all guests are waiting for – let these delicious main course dishes blow them away!
Roasted chicken
Roasted chicken will definitely be the centre of everyone’s attention – this gorgeous dish won’t go unnoticed. If you want, you can roast the chicken using only salt and your favourite spices, but if you want to go an extra mile, stuff the chicken with lemons and apples. Another way to prepare roast chicken is to take 1kg of salt, spread it onto a baking tray, place the chicken on top of the salt, and bake it in your oven until it’s ready – the result will surely not disappoint you!
Fried rice
What kind of holiday would it be without fried rice? Fried rice is a great way to show off your culinary fantasy and talent, because this dish is so versatile there are thousands of popular and tasty fried rice recipes. The most common one requires rice, pieces of chicken, cow liver, green beans, carrots, onions, spices, and yellow curry powder. Fried rice can be served on its own or as a garnish for other main courses.
Nigerian salad
Although salads are usually eaten as appetizers, this one is truly a main course because it’s so nutritional and filling. Usually Nigerian salad is made with carrots, potatoes, cucumbers, baked bins, lettuce, tomatoes, sweet corn, and eggs, which are used for decoration. Mix the ingredients in a large salad bowl, add your favourite dressing, decorate with halved boiled eggs, and enjoy!
Jollof rice
A Nigerian party, wedding, birthday celebration, street event or Christmas party cannot be imagined without a generous serving of Jollof rice, which is one of the most popular Nigerian recipes. To prepare Jollof rice you’ll need long grain rice, tomato stew, whole chicken or pieces of chicken, salt, pepper, thyme, and onions. Not only is this dish delicious – it also looks very appetizing and works great on its own or as a side dish.
Yam and cheese casserole
Yam can be found in most Nigerian households, which is why this dish is beloved by many Nigerians. A combination of yam and cheese creates a whole new flavour that you’ll definitely fall in love with. This dish requires white yam, cheese, white fish, tomatoes, frozen spinach, a chilli pepper, and onions. Baked yam and cheese is made in an oven and is a very healthy main Christmas dish for people who keep to a diet or simply don’t want to overeat.
Dessert
Trust us – everyone will be so full after your snacks and main dishes that there will likely be no room left for dessert, but this candy will totally become your favourite!
Coconut candy
This candy will be a perfect conclusion to your flawless Christmas celebration. Take fresh coconut with juice, powdered sugar, and water. Grate the coconut, mix the ingredients, bring to a boil and cook until the mixture has thickened. When it’s done, pour the candy into a baking tray, leave to cool down, and cut into same-sized pieces. Serve at the end of your Christmas party and you will be forever known as the best host or hostess around!
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