Nigerian Ofada Rice with Ayamase Sauce

About This Recipe

Ofada rice is an unpolished local Nigerian rice variety with a distinctive nutty flavour. It is traditionally served with ayamase (also known as 'ofada stew') — a blazing green pepper sauce made from unripe peppers and locust beans cooked down in palm oil with assorted cooked meats. The combination is intensely flavourful and is one of the most celebrated dishes of Yoruba cuisine.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 400 gofada rice(or brown rice)
• 8green habanero peppers(blended)
• 2green bell peppers(blended)
• 150 mlpalm oil
• 1 tbspiru (locust beans)(or miso as substitute)
• 200 gassorted cooked meats(beef, tripe, liver — pre-cooked)
• 2 cubesstock cube
• 1 mediumonion(chopped)
• 2 tbspground crayfish
• 1 tspsalt

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook rice

   Wash ofada rice and cook in salted water 35–40 minutes until tender. Drain.

2. 2

   Bleach palm oil

   Heat palm oil in a pot over medium-high heat until it loses its redness and turns clear, about 8–10 minutes. This is called 'bleaching'. Add onion and fry until brown.

3. 3

   Add peppers

   Pour in blended green peppers. Fry on medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes until oil floats on top.

4. 4

   Add flavourings

   Add locust beans, crayfish, stock cubes and assorted meats. Stir well and cook another 10 minutes.

5. 5

   Serve

   Serve ofada rice topped generously with ayamase sauce. Traditionally served wrapped in banana leaf for a special occasion.

Variations

• •

  Use parboiled rice if ofada is unavailable.

• •

  Ayamase stew is delicious with fried plantain on the side.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

The stew keeps refrigerated for 4 days or frozen for 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions