Nigerian Ayamase / Ofada Stew Recipe
Funny enough, the Ofada sauce got it name from the local rice it is usually served with (Ofada rice), the sauce itself is called Ayamase . The pairing is however so perfect that when people talk about ofada rice they automatically associate it with the ayamase stew. First time I tried Ofada sauce was in 2003 at that time it was the best thing I had tasted.
After several trials and tribulations and speaking to loads of people in Nigerian local food industry, here is a complete recipe of how Ayamase is prepared. As with many Nigerian dishes, recipes often vary but the common premise is the same. Ayamase is made with green peppers, hot, contains several cow parts, palm oil is bleached and the star of the dish is Iru (LOCUST BEANS).
You can choose to serve the sauce with regular rice but the local Ofada rice definitely adds something to the dish.
Ingredients
- 5 large green bell peppers (Green Tatashe)
- 1 large red onion (Albasa) (Divided)- Thinly chop half
- 3 Scotch Bonnet peppers (Ata Rodo )
- 1 cup each – boiled Goat meat, shaki and Ponmon (chopped into small pieces)
- 4 boiled eggs – optional
- 6 Tablespoons locust beans (Iru) (Divided)
- 1 1/2 cups palm oil*
- 3 cubes maggi
- Salt to taste
Direction
- In a blender, combine the peppers, half locust beans and half onion. Blend until almost smooth
- Pour the blended pepper mix into a strainer (ase) and let excess water drain out
Some choose to parboil the pepper mixture to remove excess water, this is an unnecessary step as you can achieve the same goal by simply straining.
- Set another large pot with a tight fitting lead on medium heat, add in the palm oil. Bleach the oil for 5-10 minutes. Just until the oil changes to a lighter color
It will definitely get smoky, leave the pot covered throughout the bleaching process. If you have a backyard or balcony, gently take the pot out when the oil is bleached. Open the pot and leave outside until all the smoke is gone. If you cant take the pot outside, turn off the heat, open the pot slightly and leave to rest until all the smoke is gone.
- Return the oil to high heat, add in the chopped onion and left over locust beans. fry until the onion is a bit golden
- Add in the parboiled meat and fry until lightly browned (Stir often so the meat doesn’t stick or burn)
- Add in the pepper mix, eggs, salt and maggi. Stir to combine
- Decrease the heat to low-medium, cook the sauce until oil floats to the top (45 minutes to 1 hour depending on your stove)
- Remove and discard the excess oil before serving, the point of using lots of oil is to help the sauce fry. Enjoy!
Serve sauce on Ofada or regular rice.
Pls can I use green Scotch bonnet pepper instead of green bell pepper
Thanks for the recipe. As iru can’t be found in the South East of Nigeria, can okpeyi be used?
Yes.
Hi ma’am. Can I use the green peppers sold at the English grocery stores like Asda.
You can use that with Rodo
Please can I used the locally processed iru (dawadawa)… The ones that are flatly pressed… I couldn’t find the seed ones
I dont think that will work, the seed iru is better
I just made it!! It was amazing!!! No jokes, just like the jollof rice I did using your recipe too. You’re the best!
Thanks for the feedback!
What meat is recommended
My dearest 9ja foodie may God bless you for saving homes with your recipes, I’ve always seen the ayamase sauce but didn’t know what to make the sauce brown lol 😂 I didn’t know it was the green pepper 🌶, I tried it just as you said but I actually boiled my pepper I didn’t drain it so it won’t take up to 45 minutes to cook (mine took 10 minutes to cook on low heat after the pepper) because there was literally no water in it I even put small water because of the maggi and salt I put , but I followed every other step you took and guess what it came out nice nice nice fabulous, my husband loves it , God bless you , I’m the president of naija foodie fan club
Amen!! thank you for the feedback.
Thanks so much for your blog….meals o not feel boring to me anymore…
I tried this ayamase recipe and it did not disappoint at all…kudos!
By the way, I tried it with yam and it was still as delicious as ever
awesome!!
I am glad! thanks for the feedback.
its sad cuz i made mine with green pepper and it has a slight sweet taste which i dont like. and i dont understand. still looking for a way to change that.
It’s most likely the bell pepper you used. how sweet is it?
Good day. I used d recipe and it turned out well, just that I didn’t have a pot with a tight fitting lid so d oil had dis smoky taste. Is dis normal or is it bcos d lid didn’t fit tightly? Also can I bleach d oil without covering the pot? Thanks
Hello! it’s supposed to have a smoky taste, that’s the essence of Ayamase. Bleaching without covering will make your entire house smoky.
Great article. Just so I know: do we really need to strain the blended lepper? Wouldn’t we rather fry it all?
Leaving all the water in will prolong cooking time because you will still have to boil it off to fry the sauce properly.
I discovered that the strained water makes ur fried rice taste yum!
Pls where can I get d ogada rice
Ofada rice? where do you live?
You can contact me on 08092213571, I sell ofada rice
Ok, the fire engune has just been to my house. I only heated it for 5mins and it caught fire!
Goodness, that’s terrible. I hope you are all right. As I suggested in the recipe, make sure windows are open to keep the smoke out.
So sorry, but add little salt wen bleaching the oil, and then cover properly, tight.turn off the gas when the oil is hot, and open only when yu feel the heat has gone down or reduced.
Looks delicious! One question though: can I substitute ogiri egusi for iru?
The flavors will be a little different but you sure can!
I had to comment even tho the comment box is far down. I cooked this stew this weekend and it was super great. I just emailed you along with a picture of my stew. thank you and I am trying out a couple of dishes this week too.
awesome!
pls is iru d same as opeye
I did try it out. It was nice, though i think i used too much pepper ( atarodo), i really loved the iru flavour it gave. will try it again soon with less pepper. Thanks for sharing the recipee
Great! thanks for the feedback.
With this current tomato scarcity, its ideal to prepare this. i’m about to try it, hope it comes out fine though i could not get the green tatashe.
Let me know how it turns out.
Thanks Ronke, definitely trying it out this weekend.
awesome! do let me know how it turns out.
Cooked this tonight for the first time and I can’t believe how well it turned out. It smelt just like the first designer stew I had in 9ja in ’08. I am so proud of myself :) Thanks for the delicious recipe, you made it sound so straightforward and non-intimidating to attempt! I am a vegetarian so bypassed the meat. I forgot to buy the locust seed but will definitely get some in for next time.
The bleaching was a success and no smelly house – took the pot out to the garden and left it out there with lid off for about 10mins. Little tip for those living in cold country like UK, stand the palm oil bottle in hot water to make it easy to pour.
yeiiii!! awesome! thanks for the feedback.
Hi please can I do it without locust beans. Where I stay I cannot get it
you can try
I made this yesterday and my husband loves it. However, the amount of palm oil scares me; I can’t prepare this on a regular basis and expect it not to contribute to high blood pressure in the future!
Can this be made with vegetable oil (“ororo”)? What is the point in bleaching the palm oil anyway?
Sorry, one more question: approximately how much water should we use to blend the peppers? I was just guessing and not sure if my mixture was too thick or too smooth.
Thank you, and God bless you!
Hi Ola !I feel you. Traditionally prepared ayamase should not be part of a regular diet. The recipe can be modified to be much healthier by significantly reducing the oil/meat used. You will not get the fried effect but it’s still very tasty. Ororo would not lend the same flavors to the sauce. why ororo though? it’s not healthier than palm oil. I try to use as little water as possible when blending, it makes it easier to control the consistency of the sauce. The final product should be thesame consistency as Nigerian stew.
What worried me was when it had cooled down a bit and everythig solidified. I was thinking: if this is how thick and greasy it is in the pot after just a few hours, imagine how it is sticking to our insides! Maybe because of the weather now (we are in the UK where it is currently cold), but I’m sure vegetable oil won’t stick like that. To be honest it took me about 15 mins to get the palm oil out of the bottle into the pot in the first place because it was so thick, and I got impatient and didnt even use up to the recommended 1.5 cups. Despite that, still so much oil. Maybe if I make it again I should blend it thinner then remove more oil at the end?
Please what is the essence of bleaching the oil?
Thank you
That’s from bleaching the oil unfortunately. Ayamase should be a treat honestly, not a part of your regular menu. Taking the oil past smoke point essentially introduces dangerous free radicals into the food.
Hi Ola. Also remember to drain the excess oil immediately after cooking.
pls i dnt know what is ata rodo, what other name? is it called cameroon pepper or just the big round red pepper that is hot? and pls the green pepper is it the same i use in making salad?
It’s called scotch bonnet or habanero pepper. Yes, it’s the green pepper used for fried rice.
Tried your recipe. Fantastic, first time as well! Brilliant. I’ll be trying more of your recipes. Thanks
Awesome! thanks for the amazing feedback.
Hello 9jafoodie thx so much for dis food blog and d recipes that you shared. I jux prepared my Ayamase and am feeling like a Master chef already can’t wait for my hubby to have a taste. Thanx alot
yeiii!! that’s good to hear.
Tell me where and I’ll send pictures of my spicy coconut fish curry and the coconut jollof rice. Didn’t snap the pankara though but it looked like the picture you shared.
Yes please!! are you on instagram? you can find us @9jafoodie
Found your blog not too long ago and i promised myself to do one recipe per week. 3 weeks down the line, I’ve kept that promise. Will be trying this next Sunday. Have never cooked ofada though. Is it parboiled and cooked just like you do regular rice?
That’s amazing Nma! you should share some of your photos with me. Ofada is a cross between parboiled and brown rice . Yes, boil it the same way you would parboiled rice. A word of caution, it might stink. I typically through a bulb of onion and fresh orange rind into the water.
Tnx for d recipe. Pls do u mean 6tablespoons of iru or 6 teaspoons. Pls help me out as i intend making it dis weekend. Tnx
Hello Aijay, it’s 6 tablespoons in total; you will need to blend 3 tablespoons with the peppers and add in 3 tablespoons whole.
9jafoodie hi. Just for clarification purposes, is the green Tatashe the same green pepper that’s used when making salad? Cz in the past, I use the unripe pepper (ata rodo), but the stew is always too peppery that my folks complain. Lol. Plz I want to make this on Sunday, do I buy the regular green peppers mallams sell along side carrots, cabbage and all?
Epp a sistah!
yes – it’s thesame green salad tatashe. Ha! ata rodo in that amount? you are a brave woman!
The look on my husband’s face after one taste of the stew was worth more than a million bucks. It’s surely a winner. He is even eating bread with the sauce.
Thanks a million. I owe you.
Awwww… you are very welcome. thanks for the feedback.
I just tried ds buh used red pepper instead of green…….came out nice buh next tym will try d green. Thnx 9jafoodie
You are welcome!
Am I going to blend the iru too?
One of my favourite 9ja dish. If you live abroad and you can’t get ofada rice, the good news is that it goes well with Basmati rice too ?
Indeed folu! it doesn’t start and end with ofada
I tried it without the locust beans when I couldn’t find any. It suprisingly came out good.
Whoop! that’s awesome.
I live in Minneapolis MN and I will really love to try this recipe. I do make it when I was in Nigeria, but I av never really craved it until got pregnant… Pls where can I get iru here I beg!!!!
Hello Tobi! do you by chance have a local Nigerian store?
9jafoodie: so your Ayamase recipe is the best ever, my smoke alarm did not peep for a minuet when i was cooking and the soup came out very delicious and tasty..
Yeiiii!!!!! thanks for the feedback.
it sound easy and nice, i will try it
Do let us know how it turns out
The large green pepper, is it the same green pepper used for fried rice or a different one.
Can I just add the pepper without straining the water? I feel by straining the water am losing some nutrients
Nutrient loss in vegetables actually result from overcooking. By straining the blended peppers, there wont be need to cook it as much as you would have to without straining.
I have a question, Is ehiru the same as iru?
No, they are very different things. Ehuru is a seed used predominantly as a spice in things like peppersoup. Iru is fermented locust beans primarily used as a condiment in soups and sauces.
Ds nt how to make ayamashe stew. U pour d meat in d bleached oil first.
hen? Not sure I understand the point you are trying to make.
Can one also use green pepper in place of the tatashe? Didnt find green tatashe in the market
What type of green pepper? Hot pepper (Chilli – shombo, rodo- scotch bonnet etc) will be too hot.
I have a food practical at school on Monday, thank you so much for this recipe.xx
coco-bella.blogspot.com xx
The way you described it made it all simple. I am trying it this weekend. Thank u! I am sure am gonna love it!
I made this for my family a week ago, and we all loved it, especially my husband. Thank you for this recipe, I had been looking for it.
great!!!!
Thanks, 9jafoodie, tried this, with my little twist on the pepper colours tho, used 1 green yellow and red pepper instead of all greens, tasted great! #my first attempt, the taste was amazzzzzzzinnnngggggg. Thanks for the recipe.
That is great to hear!
Naija fooodie pls is what’s d diffrence btw ds green tatashe and green peppers used in fried rice?
Yes it is…. just like regular tatashe but unripe.
hi, this is a great dish and thanks for posting… also it would be helpful if you include in your posts an estimate of how much calories each meal is likely to contain…keep it up
Thanks for the tip.
Sounds like a paid subscription feature @9jafoodie ;)
Hahha… indeed
What is iru referred to in Ghana?
Unfortunately I am not sure….maybe Dawadawa in the northern part? the English name is Locust beans though.
am really impressed… thanks for sharing all, it such a big luck for us here to find ofada or iru… as we live abroad, nevertheless when even I get a chance to cook ofada and its sauce I do exactly this way , but in about 10 to 5 minutes to done, I sprinkle few spinach (cleaned efo ) onto the sauce and cover the pot + turn the stove to 1 just for a little steam… I promise its yumm delicious.. you wanna eat over and over . happy cooking
Thanks for the addition
I have always wanted to cook the Ayamase. .. will try it … hope it look like yours… Thanks for that
It sure will. Enjoy!!
Heyyyy!!! I’m cooking this atm!! When I bleach the oil, should I wash the pot first or just continue cooking by adding the parboiled pepper etc ?
Just continue cooking
I dont get bleaching the palm oil part…..am I supposed to put it in something like a pressure cooker?
No, just your stove and a regular pot will do.
Hi pls what if u don’t have iru
Iru is extremely import for the sauce to turn out well
I love dis, av ate dis ofada rice in a canteen and I realy wnt2 learn hw to prepare it!! Tnx very much 4 d lectures can’t wait to cook
please let us know how is turns out
TRIED THIS…IT WAS AAAWESOMEEEE!!!
Yeiii you
Hi there, point of correction – note that the sauce is not called Aya Mase. Aya Mase means ‘Wife of Mase’ in Yoruba. Aya Mase is the very recently deceased wife of ‘Mase’ from Ikenne, Remo. If you set foot in the town and ask for her, you will be directed to her house. She was famous for her Ofada stew which is why people seek to use her name when referring to the dish.
I am confused…. so is it called Aya Mase or it isn’t?
That sounds like a woman who used to cook green sauce with rice in Ilisan Remo, Ogun.
That’s where it all started
this is good, gotta share this too
Do share
Hi pls is green tatashe different from green pepper?wanna try it out.Wr do I get ofada rice here in Lagos
Green tatashe is different…. it’s not as hot as green pepper. Local rice sellers sell ofada rice.
where do i buy the locust beans from- cuz i can’t wait to try this too :)?
Hi Tee…. that will depend on where you live. If you are in Nigeria, your local market will have it ( local name is Iru)
Thanks for the recipe; I really enjoyed it. Pls note that oil bleaching is extremely dangerous. It changes the palm oil to an unsaturated oil and thus making it dangerous!!!! It increases the risk of heart dx AKA heart attack by 64%,especially we black people. Thanks.
does it really??? please provide more insight.
This is too funny, only because that was the first thing I thought of when I remembered how long you are supposed to heat the palmoil for… Lol @ we Docs. My next thought however was” oh I don’t care, this stuff is soooooo delicious” hahaha…plus it’s not something you eat everyday. All things in moderation.. P.s-don’t forget to call me girl!! Am waiting for the gist. Much love!!
A good way of getting rid of the smoke while bleaching the oil is to cover the pot. Warning do not open until its fully bleached! Leave to cool down for like 20mins before proceeding with your cooking!
Thanks Kay!! Very good tip.
I just finished eating it now after making it for the first time. It was AMAZING. My house is smoky as hell now, but it’s a small price to pay for such a delicious dish. I made a slight revision to the recipe and used two red bell peppers since it looked too greenish with one. However, I think it is because the red bell peppers I bought were small to begin with. One other thing I did was to add just a tablespoon of the meat stock to the combined pot of pepper mixture and palm oil. The stock was too good to just throw away. It enhanced the flavour of the dish as well. This recipe as posted however, is perfect to the last T. A bottle of Malta Guinness is a perfect pairing.
Thanks Damocles, we are happy you thoroughly enjoyed the recipe. Home made meat stock is always a welcomed addition to any dish. Thanks for the great comment.
This recipe is fingerlicking good. I keep on making it,and each time i intend to put some for the freezer…someway,somehow it is completely finished before it reaches there.lol
Thanks Nannie!!! we are happy your are loving the recipe. Happy cooking.
Second time i’m cooking it in 2 weeks. The palm oil bleaching process is forgiven after tasting the stew. My husband is german and loves it. My mum who lives in nigeria for over 30 years has never heard of it. Just cooked it as she is on a visit. Mmmhhhhhhh tasty. We all love it. Thanks.
YEIIIII!!! NOW dancing galala.. I am very happy to hear that… please share the recipe wherever you share things. Happy cooking :)
Hmmm…nice!
Thank you!
i tried it and hated it at first, but the next day, it was all i was eating! gona make this for my guests soon…
i hear ofada rice smells… hmm… not looking forward to that part :(
Happy you finally enjoyed it. Yes, it does. especially if you buy the boxed variety.Make sure you ask your vendor for authentic ofada, also add some onion ( just half an onion for easy removal) when cooking.
What’s not to love about this? Yum, yum! Add a bottle of malt and we’re good to go!
Malt of cold Zobo.. yummmm!
looks delicious
Merci