I always get the ” what’s that?” reaction from certain people when i mention Gizdo(Short pronunciation 😎 ). But then,every now and then,in addition to the regular samosa,spring rolls and puff puff,Gizdo is another dish i always come across in every “gbedu” i attend. It is a Nigerian invented meal(i’ll like to think  😀  ) which is as self-explanatory as it sounds. It is simply a combination of gizzard and plantain(dodo) and some other ‘serenre”, hence the name “Gizdodo”. It is a really tasty meal so it can serve as a very good appetizer or side dish.The interesting thing about this dish is that it is one of those few dishes that people can easily enjoy without any complain, because it is actually indeed a very simple dish. The combination of ingredients used in the preparation are all very simple and pleasant to suit everyone’s taste buds.
RECIPE:
2/3 ripe plantains (Not too soggy)
500 gm Gizzard (chicken or turkey)
3 big tomatoes
1 large onion
2 pepper (ata -rodo)
1 red bell pepper (tatashe)
1 green pepper (optional)
1 yellow pepper (optional)
Pinch of Salt to taste
1 teaspoon of grounded crayfish (optional)
2 seasoning cube (Knorr cubes preferably)
½ teaspoon of curry
½ teaspoon of thyme
½ teaspoon dry pepper- cayenne pepper
Vegetable oil
STEP 1:
Clean up the gizzard by removing the yellow lining. Then wash with salted water to remove dirt and impurities. Run the gizzard under tap water till it’s properly clean, then drain.
STEP 2:
Boil your gizzard.It is not necessary to add water into the pot of gizzard because gizzard naturally generates water on its own once it is on fire. Season with your finely chopped onions (half), two cubes of Knorr, ½ spoon of curry, ½ spoon of thyme, ½  spoon of dry pepper and salt to taste. Cook until it is tender, set aside to cool, then cut it into small pieces.
STEP 3:
Peel the back of the plantain. Then cut plantain into cubes as you can see below, and fry in hot vegetable oil, till it turns light or golden brown.
    
    
STEP 4:
Blend your tomatoes, tatashe and pepper (atarado) together. Heat up your pot or frying pan with vegetable oil, add the other half of your onions to fry till it’s translucent, and add your blended crayfish (optional). Stir fry for a few seconds, then add your blended tomato mix and fry with the onions for 10-15 minutes until the sour taste of the tomato is gone, then add the stock from the gizzard to add more flavor to your blended mix.
STEP 5:
Fry the chopped gizzard in the same oil you fried your plantain to absorb the sweet plantain flavor. Remove from oil and drain after frying. Add your fried gizzard and plantain to the fried tomato mix and stir together . Allow to cook . Finally,add your chopped green and yellow pepper (Optional) at the last stage and stir together.
Your Gizdo is ready! Enjoy! 😀
Nkataa reccommendation – Gizzard, bell pepper, plantain, onion
