You cannot talk about Fuji House of Commotion, the Nigerian family comedy series, without mentioning Jumoke, starred by Chika Chukwu, the hilarious elder daughter of the Fujis whose plumpness gives her an edge in the show. She tells AMARA OSAJIUBA why she is so healthy and fresh-looking.

Favourite food

Am not very finicky about food. I love vegetables. So long as am making it, with chicken or fish. I eat it with yam, maybe a slice or two, or rice- Condiments needed.

I like to have loads of carrots chopped up, lots of legume beans chopped too, a little bit of all the other vegetables all chopped up, then I like a lot of onions. I also buy greens which I like to add last as I like them slightly crunchy. Then green peppers, red peppers, and tomatoes. Then I have a sizeable chunk of chicken breasts, some shrimps or prawns.

Preparation

I have my tomatoes, onions and peppers all chopped up. I don’t blend them because when it is blended, the stew feels a bit flat. I like it full, you know. I do not use tin tomatoes for this particular dish as I want everything to come out natural. I start out like the regular fry of your stew, with tomatoes. I keep frying the tomatoes till I get the right taste am looking for. I then add my peppers and onions. I keep adding onions from the beginning till the end of my cooking. I love onions, but I chop them into very tiny bits that sometimes you don’t see them, but they are there. After that, I cut up the chicken breasts into shreds so that they are a lot. I use a knife and strip through them. I also add some shrimps or prawns.

I then steam them together a little with a little bit of nutmeg, all the spices here and there, a dash of cinnamon, I add my prawn and I allow it boil. You know that chicken breasts get done easily and when its soft and succulent, I get it down. I then add the vegetables, the legume beans, and then I allow it boil a little, but not very soft. I add my green pepper, carrots and you have an array of lovely colours and it smells good. Then I add Knorr cubes and Onga seasoning. I love it because you have a lot of different vegetables and it still tastes good. Oh God! As it simmer, it simmers a little and you bring it down. It is a beautiful array of green delicacy. I add my greens last. The thought makes me hungry.

Eating it

I eat it with yams, rice, any kind of rice or potatoes- mashed, boiled or fried. I can also use a glass of red wine or apple juice in the meal. That’s my best.