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Home » Stews and Sauces » Ayamase - Ofada stew

Published: Jan 26, 2014 · Modified: Aug 3, 2014 by K's Cuisine · This post may contain affiliate links ·

Ayamase - Ofada stew

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Ayamase also known as Ofada stew is from the people of Ogun state. This stew is commonly eaten with ofada rice ( unpolished brown rice) hence where it got the name Ofada stew.

My love affair with this stew started 15years ago. My parents had taken us (I, my sis and late bro- God rest his soul) to Ilishan-remo to write entrance examination into Babcock University. The process had taken a long time and we were all hungry so dad and mum decided to go to town to buy food for everyone. They were to get us takeaway as we couldn't leave the university just yet. So they came back with rice. The rice was wrapped in leaves which wasn't a big deal as I was accustomed to 'Mama Ope' in Ibadan with rice wrapped in leaves. I opened the food to delve into it and was surprised with the colour of the stew..eeewwww. my appetite almost disappeared but I was too hungry so I reluctantly put a spoonful of the food in my mouth after which the food vanished in minutes. I even did a Oliver twist and I started taking the whole entrance thing seriously..lol. I mean who wouldn't want to school where you can have this delicacy at your fingertips. That was the beginning of my love affair with ayamashe. I called it gbadun stew' then because that was the name of the woman selling the food in Ilishan. With the love affair came a quest to learn how to make the stew and luck smiled on me when my mum's friend a caterer who had a restaurant put ofada on her restaurant menu. I humbly went to her and asked her to teach me to cook it. I've made some changes to how she taught me and i have perfected gbadun stew over the years. So here we go...

INGREDIENTS

4 large green bell peppers

1 red pepper

9 green scotch bonnet

2 red scotch bonnet

1 brown onion (chopped)

1 red onion

6 tablespoons locust beans (iru) or half cup

1 cup palm oil

2 maggi cubes

Beef and assorted meats ( shaki, ponmo, etc)

1 tablespoon grounded crayfish

Beef stock

COOKING DIRECTIONS

Boil the beef and assorted meats. Do not use curry or thyme or any condiments for this if you intend to use the stock for your ayamase as condiments is a no no for this stew.

Blend coarsely the bell peppers, scotch bonnets (leave 1 green scotch bonnet I blended) and red onion. Pour this in a pot and boil leaving the pot uncovered. The boiling process will take out the water in the pepper.

image

Boiled pepper

Boiled pepper

Pour palm oil in a pot, cover the pot and put on heat to bleach the palm oil (Don't use your best pot for this). The reason for covering the pot is so that the kitchen is not filled with smoke and trigger your smoke alarm. Also it's not healthy inhaling all that smoke. The palm oil should be bleached in approximately 10minutes. Turn the cooker off after this time and leave the palm oil to cool. Do not open the pot until the palmoil is well cooled. It would take another 10minutes for the palm oil to cool. When the palm oil is cooled, open the pot and do what I call the 'paper test' to check if your palm oil is well bleached.

Paper test-Touch the palm oil wit a clean white paper. If it comes out transclucent like the picture below the palm oil is bleached. If the paper comes out red the palmoil is not bleached.

image

If your palm oil is well bleached, pour it into a fresh pot, put it back on the cooker and add half of the locust(iru). The iru will make the palm oil start foaming and start producing a lovely aroma. Add the chopped onions at this stage and add the already boiled pepper.

Frying locust in palmoil

Frying locust in palmoil

Add maggi cubes, stock and salt to taste and leave to fry. Do not cover the pot and also stir frequently.

Add the 1 remaining green scotch bonnet in whole. This was a tip I caught from iya Gbadun as I sometimes used to see whole rodo in my stew when bought from her. I reckon this to give the ayamase extra spicy flavor of the scotch bonnet.

After 3minutes add the beef, assorted meats, and the remaining half of the locust beans (iru) and keep stirring frequently for 5minutes then add the grounded crayfish. Leave for another 2minutes and turn off the heat.

Ayamashe is ready and trust me it's all worth the trouble!

Ayamashe

Ayamashe

Enjoy with rice. You can also eat with yam and plantain.

Incase you wondering if i got the admission..oh yes i did. The love of the food was enough motivation????

Ayamashe served with rice, plantain and assorted meats

Ayamashe served with rice, plantain and assorted meats

Ofada stew

Ofada stew

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Comments

  1. ife says

    May 11, 2015 at 3:33 pm

    Fantastic recipe thanks kemi,tried ayamase for the first time..it came out brilliant.. Can't wait2c hubby's face when he cums bck..he loves ayamase which I have always had to buy...
    P.S plans for d birthday changed.. Hence,..thanks again..

    Reply
  2. Kunbi says

    March 24, 2015 at 7:26 am

    it sure looks yummy, however all my attempts in the past at making ofada stew mostly ended up with a red sauce not dark brown like yours, however i never used green pepper, i used rodo , tatashe and tomatoes so i have a question, is it the green pepper that makes it turn out dark brown or its cooking it for a long time that makes it dark. the only time i achieved dark brown with my rodo , tatashe and tomatoes combo took over one hr to achieve and it had that almost burning taste which is definitely what i taste at restaurants, expecting your response. well done!

    Reply
    • K's Cuisine says

      March 26, 2015 at 1:52 pm

      Hello Kunbi, The colour of your pepper determines the final outcome.I use green peppers and no tomatoes and it gives the dark colour plus the more you fry the colour changes. You shouldn't however fry it to the point where it gets burnt taste. Try my recipe exactly as stated and let me know how you get along. Thank you????

      Reply
  3. MCdem says

    June 26, 2014 at 3:42 am

    Nice recipe..quick question, when bleaching the palm oil, do you bleach on high heat for 10 mins or medium, low heat..thanks

    Reply
    • K's Cuisine says

      June 26, 2014 at 12:13 pm

      Thanks MCdem. I bleach on medium heat.

      Reply
  4. Krystal says

    June 25, 2014 at 7:39 pm

    I love this stew, and I must say your recipe does it justice. A trick I use is piercing the boiled egg in several places with a fork before putting in the stew. The egg soaks up the oil, stew and lovely flavor. Yummm

    Reply
    • K's Cuisine says

      June 26, 2014 at 1:35 am

      Thanks for the compliments and tip Krystal 🙂

      Reply
  5. Oyinkan says

    June 14, 2014 at 4:33 pm

    Lol .......... Good ol'babcock days with iya gbadun, when pala jollof rice had nothing on her.

    Reply
    • K's Cuisine says

      June 15, 2014 at 1:19 am

      memories, memories..15years and seem just like yesterday

      Reply
  6. Yewande Adesina Oladipo says

    February 24, 2014 at 5:24 pm

    Well-done gurl! Good old days! but am curious, do u do chops as in cater?

    Reply
    • K's Cuisine says

      February 24, 2014 at 7:00 pm

      Thanks Yewande. Not at the moment but in the nearest future????

      Reply
  7. bk says

    January 29, 2014 at 4:00 pm

    Kemi u av taken me on a trip down memory lane and am salivating seriously.uhmmm.

    Good job

    Reply
    • K's Cuisine says

      January 30, 2014 at 12:13 am

      Awwww...good memories I presume.Tanx????

      Reply
  8. Adedoyin Oyefusi says

    January 28, 2014 at 4:22 pm

    Weldone dear. Nice one.

    Reply
    • K's Cuisine says

      January 28, 2014 at 9:20 pm

      Tanx Adedoyin 🙂

      Reply
  9. Funmi Adeleye says

    January 27, 2014 at 6:17 pm

    Whoa! I can't wait to try this recipe after my 7-day diet. So tempted but I'll be disciplined. lol

    Reply
    • K's Cuisine says

      January 28, 2014 at 9:19 pm

      Before u know it 7-day diet will be over. Be disciplined 🙂

      Reply
  10. Gbemisola says

    January 26, 2014 at 10:29 pm

    Hum, back in those good old dayssss. U dey make me salivate ooo. Good work

    Reply
    • K's Cuisine says

      January 28, 2014 at 9:17 pm

      Good old Babcock days:) Tanx Gbemisola.

      Reply

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