African Caribbean Shrimp Fried Rice – a spicy rice dish with plenty of flavor with chunks of shrimps, eggs and veggies. A complete meal on its own!
Yikes it’s ‘fried’, but its fried rice… You have never had rice until you have had ‘African fried rice’. However, here is the catch… I had never heard of African fried rice till I set foot on US soil.
Imagine that, born and raised in Cameroon, West Africa, jellof rice was one of those staple foods we grew up with as an all time favorite meal any time we had a family get together, or needed to impress someone, but we never had fried rice. Now jellof rice as featured here has been placed in the back seat, fried rice has taken over.
The key to this recipe is the perfect blends of herbs, vegetables and grains, creating a spicy dish with plenty of flavor that you can taste in every bite. It is the “to die for” filling meal. Can you tell I love this? Sincerely, my nieces, nephews and even my son dig in to this meal without ever raising their heads until their plates are empty. Needless to say “Aunty Imma is THE best cook!” They would often say.
Though African fried rice is spicy, it is not hot. Happily enough, there are no defined ingredients as it varies based on the culture, for instance, I have had some friends refer to this as ‘Caribbean fried rice’, complimented by specific Caribbean ingredients and herbs for a unique island taste. So feel free to change the recipe around a little, substitute vegetables and still get the same wholesome aroma and meal.
This fried rice starts with perfectly cooked long grain rice, eggs, vegetables, shrimp, onions, vigorously stir fried with soy sauce spiced up with green seasoning featured here (a tasty blend of green leaves and garlic) and a touch of curry powder to give it a uniquely exotic flair.
Just a hint, ‘Day old rice’ is preferable because it is dried out and can withstand the stirring that is often applied to fried rice, without becoming soggy. For this recipe, I used basmati fried rice.
It is important to have all the ingredients ready ahead of time before you begin cooking.
African Caribbean Shrimp Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked day old long grain rice
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ cup of canola or vegetable oil
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- ½ pound shrimp peeled deveined
- ½ small onion sliced
- 1 teaspoon green seasoning
- 1 cup peas and carrots
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder
- A dash of curry powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2-3 tablespoon of water or stock optional
Instructions
- Break up the clumpy rice before starting.
- Heat a large wok or skillet on medium high heat with about a tablespoon of canola or vegetable oil.
- Add the rice stir vigorously for about 2-3 minutes adding soy sauce and a tablespoon or more of water or chicken/beef stock as need to moistened rice. Set aside. Quickly wipe the wok or skillet with a clean paper towel or cloth.
- Heat 1 teaspoon oil in the wok; add shrimp and sauté until just cooked through. Remove add to the fried rice.
- Next add a table spoon of oil , let it heat up , then add the eggs and quickly stir to break the eggs apart. Remove and add to the rice.
- Continue with the stir frying by adding a tablespoon of oil into the wok, followed by onions, peas, carrots, green seasoning, curry powder, and chicken bouillon powder. Stir until fragrant for about 2 minutes.
- Finally return the combination of rice, eggs, and shrimp to the wok. Stir until everything has been fully combined. Adjust seasoning salt, pepper if necessary.
- Garnish with chopped scallion and serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yvette Orna says
I loveed this recipe. So tasty.
Imma says
Oh great to hear that. Thank you so much!
James A- says
I cooked your African Caribbean Shrimp Fried Rice today and I was amazed at how easy and fast it was to prepare and cook. It is so tasty. My wife loved it so much she got seconds, something she does not normally do even when she has cooked our meals. Thank you Imma for your excellent recipes. You are wonderful!
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! Glad to hear it worked out well for you.
Kris says
If I don’t have day old rice would that be ok? I have some hours before serving so I am wondering if I can refrigerate the rice.
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Kris. You can try the following;
– Spread the freshly cooked rice on a tray and put it under a fan for about an hour.
– Another option is to simply spread it on a sheet and put it on top of the table or on the countertop. And just let the moisture evaporate.
– For a quicker turnaround, preheat your oven to low, then spread the rice out evenly on a baking sheet forming a thin layer and then bake it for about 5-10 minutes or until it dries out.
Hope this helps :).
Maria Blackwell says
I have cooked the curry goat, chicken jamaican red bean and rice, smothered pork chops and short ribs of beef. They were all EXCELLENT and was so very tasty.
Thank you so much for all the great recipes I look forward to cooking. Maria
ImmaculateBites says
Amazing!! I am so glad you are loving these recipes. Thank you for the feedback, Maria :).
Mason says
HOw is this African?
ImmaculateBites says
curry powder and green seasoning .
Chan says
Score!!! I used shrimp stock instead of water for my rice and it was so good. We love shrimp so that’s why I tried this. The coconut milk made it soooo creamy.
I am so appreciative of your site.
Warmly,
Chan
ImmaculateBites says
Thank you so much Chan.
Tobey-Ude says
It’s not exactly African. There’s a lot of differences between how we’d cook it and this recipe right here. For instance, we don’t add soy sauce, eggs or green seasoning (which I didn’t even know existed in African cuisine) and usually the rice is cooked the same day. Cooked African style, it doesn’t last and it’s not built to last (really! Fried rice spoils quickly unlike jollof).
That said I cannot wait to try this recipe. It contains a lot of ingredients I love and I just know it tastes amazing!
Kimberly Davis says
Hi Tibet-Ude!!
Would you share your version of African Shrimp Fried Rice??!! I’d love to make both versions!! Or email it to me at
kimberlydavis21@yahoo.com .
Thank you kindly
Alice says
Yummmmyy, I tried this, and everyone loved it. Thanks for the immaculate recipe!
Africanbites says
Alice, am glad you liked it.
Yvonne says
Imma eeeeh! Thanks for the little tips eeeh! I have tried this recipe several time but just could not get it right. This time with your little tips I think o got this. Merci!
Yvonne says
The girl, Thanks for this recipe. I love this when Gwen makes it. I am right now copying your recipe and believe me I go getam right! Thanks for the tips oh!
Monica says
Grazie a te.Il pubblico italiano è felice di questa ricetta.Sorry,ti ho mandato anche una mail ^_^
Monica
Monica says
Ciao Immaculate!
I’m Monica e sono italiana.Ho un blog L’emporio 21 e ho fatto una tua ricetta “Puff Puff”Grazie!! sono buonissimi!You are wonderful!!
Monica
Africanbites says
Thanks Monica, am glad you like it.
Lilian says
Just the look of it makes me salivate. This is good food and easy to make. Thank you so much Immaculate bites. Following your recipe I can cook fried rice with much confidence knowing that my guest will enjoy this delicious meal. Continue to do what you do to make women especially to get to visit the kitchen and fix something tasty for themselves or families.
Africanbites says
Thanks lilian