Ayamase! Let me show you how to cook the best Ayamase stew ever. I have blogged about Ayamashe before. In fact, i blogged about it the first month this blog was started. What prompted this new post was that I recently had another look at the previous Ayamase post HERE and said to myself...Kemi, you really should do a repost on Ayamase.
The post reminded me that I have improved since that Ayamase post and i am thankful for that and proud of how far i have come in the short period i started blogging. It has been a wonderful journey so far and i do appreciate you readers for the encouragements, lovely feedbacks, prayers and taking out time to leave comments.
You guys are awesome and knowing how much what i do means to you and the many people out there that have benefited from this blog, it gives me great pleasure in what i do and it keeps me going even with my busy schedule. Thank you people. You rock!
Best Ayamase recipe
Ayamase Stew
If you have not seen my previous post on Ayamase, click HERE to read the story on how i came about knowing this special stew i used to call Iya Gbadun stew. Our Nigerian stew and soups are just so amazing.
Now that you have read the introduction on the other post (that's me assuming you did..lol), lets go:
HOW TO COOK AYAMASE
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 60 minutes
Total time: 1hr 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS FOR AYAMASE
9 large green bell peppers
1 red pepper
9 green scotch bonnet (ata rodo)
1 red scotch bonnet (ata rodo)
Large brown onion (chopped)
1 onion (to blend with peppers)
Half cup iru (locust beans)
2 cups palm oil
3 maggi cubes
Beef and assorted meats ( shaki, ponmo, etc)
1-2 tablespoons grounded crayfish
Beef stock
Salt
Boiled eggs
How to make Ayamase
1) Boil the beef and assorted meat.
Do not use curry or thyme or any condiments for this if you intend to use the stock for your ayamase
2) Blend coarsely the bell peppers, scotch bonnets and onion. Pour this in a pot and boil leaving the pot uncovered. The boiling process gets rid of excess water in the pepper.
3) While pepper is boiling, pour palm oil in a separate 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 the kitchen is not filled with smoke and trigger smoke alarm. Also it's not healthy inhaling all that smoke.
4) The palm oil should be bleached in approximately 10 minutes. Turn the heat 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 10 minutes for the palm oil to cool.
5) When 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 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.
6) If the palm oil is well bleached, put the pot back on heat and add half of the locust beans (iru). The locust beans will make the palm oil start foaming and produce a lovely aroma.
7) By now water would have dried up in the boiling pepper. Pour the beef and assorted meat into the boiled pepper.
It's not important you dice the meat. You can leave it in big chunks. I personally dice half and leave half in big chunks as I like having it both ways. I recommend you dice half and leave half in chunks.
How to make Ayamase
Green Ofada Stew
8) Pour the heated oil/iru/onions mixture into the pepper and stir.
Obe Iya gbadun
9) Add maggi cubes, beef stock and salt to taste and leave to fry. Do not cover the pot and also stir frequently.
10) After about 10 minutes of frying, add the remaining half of the locust beans (Iru)
11) Add 1 whole green scotch bonnet and the grounded crayfish into the stew.
The whole scotch bonnet was a tip I caught from Iya Gbadun as I sometimes used to see whole rodo in my stew when bought from her. This could be due to maybe grinding machine omitting it or perhaps to spice up the stew. Whatever it is, I put it just because I like the extra hotness this gives the ayamase.
12) Using a fork, pierce the peeled boiled eggs (Optional)
This creates tiny holes in the eggs and allows the egg absorb the flavour of the stew.
13) Add the eggs to the stew and leave to cook for another 2 minutes before taking off heat.
That is Ayamase done and trust me, it's worth all the trouble 🙂
Look at those few specks of red coloured pepper in contrast with the green? I love it!
Yummy
I just had to re create the Iya Gbadun experience by serving in leaf 🙂
It's traditionally served with ofada (unpolished rice) but you can have it with basmati, easy cook, long grain rice. You can also eat with yam, plantain, potatoes...
This is one stew I can never have enough of. It is unique in taste, aroma and it also evokes in me memories of my university days 🙂
Updated with New pictures : First published August 2014.
I've really come a long way with my photography skills 🙂
Frequently asked questions about Ayamase
Why is my Ayamase bitter?
If your Ayamase comes out bitter that might be due to your pepper selection. Ypu see, there are some types of green pepper that are naturally bitter and will make your Ayamase bitter (the very dark green peppers) when choosing green peppers, go for the lighter green colour. Also if you overbleach palmoil it turns dark and will alter the taste of your Ayamase.
How to cook Ayamase?
Recipe above. I have the best Ayamase recipe. You don't have to take my words for it, try my Ayamase recipe and be a believer.
How do i bleach Palmoil for Ayamase?
Use the tip described in the recipe above.
What other names for Ayamase
Obedudu, green ofada stew
Is Ayamase the same as ofada stew?
Ofada stew is the red pepper version of Ayamashe
Thanks for reading. Like, comment and share
You might also be interested in
Ayamase (How to cook Ayamase - Obe dudu)
Ingredients
- 9 Large Green bell peppers
- 1 Red bell pepper
- 9 Green scotch bonnet
- 1 Scotch bonnet
- 1 Large Brown Onion chopped
- 1 Onion
- ½ Cup Locust beans (Iru)
- 2 Cup Palmoil
- 3 stock cubes
- Assorted meat beef, shaki, ponmo
- 1 tbsp Ground Crayfish
- Boiled eggs
- Salt
Instructions
- Boil the beef and assorted meat
- Blend coarsely the bell peppers, scotch bonnets and onion.
Pour this in a pot and boil leaving the pot uncovered. The boiling process gets
rid of excess water in the pepper. - While pepper is boiling, pour palm oil in a
separate pot, cover the pot and put on heat to bleach the palm oil (Don't
use your best pot for this) - The palm oil should be bleached in approximately 10 minutes.
Turn the heat 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 10 minutes
for the palm oil to cool. - If the palm oil is well bleached, put the pot back
on heat and add half of the locust beans (iru). The locust
beans will make the palm oil start foaming and produce a lovely aroma. - By now water would have dried up in the boiling pepper.
Pour the beef and assorted meat into the boiled pepper then pour the heated oil/iru/onions mixture into the pepper
and stir. - Add stock cubes, beef stock and salt to taste and leave to
fry. Do not cover the pot and also stir frequently. After about 10 minutes of frying, add the remaining half of the locust beans (Iru). - Add 1 whole green scotch bonnet and the grounded
crayfish. Using a fork, pierce the peeled boiled eggs (Optional) then add the eggs to the stew and leave to cook for another 2 minutes before taking
off heat. - Serve and enjoy
Video
Notes
You can follow K's Cuisine on Instagram at www.instagram.com/kscuisine
Love,
K
" Memory is the treasury and guardian of all things"- Marcus Tulius Cicero
I’m trying this today.
Wish me luck!
Please upload the video of the making of this stew?
The Moment I saw Iya Gbadun I knew you attended Babcock University. Great Babcockite!
Thank You for the recipe. I have always wondered then in school how this stew is made.
This just brought back good memories.
Oh yes i did. You're welcome. Glad i brought you good memories with this recipe 🙂
this is nice.
im cooking this soon.
I somehow stumble on this website and i must say i really like it, the recipes are simple and easy to follow. The pics of the steps are a nicely added touch.
I'll be trying this Ayanmase next weekend and cant wait to share with friends.
My only question is - why is 'thyme' a no no for this recipe?
thanks
Thanks so much Bola. Ayamase is traditionally cooked with no thyme, curry and the likes. Less is more sometimes and using thyme will tell on the taste I achieved with this recipe 🙂
I somehow stumbled on this website and i must say i really love it, simple recipes and ingredients and the pictures of each step are a nice touch. I will definitely be trying the Ayanmase next weekend. Thanks for this
What can I say about this divine recipe! My first attempt was without the grounded cray fish because I didn't have any at that time. My second attempt consist of everything stated in this recipe and I must say I have never eat rice repeatedly like this before. Like you rightly said, I can never have enough of Ayamase. Thanks for the recipe once again.
Thanks Adeola for the feedback. I'm glad you loved it. Welldone. It's feedback like this that makes it all worthwhile 🙂
I am going to try this., thanks for sharing. God bless u.
You're welcome Uyisade. Amen and God bless you too
At last, I just finished making my Ayamase now, the aroma is just divine. The taste waooooo. Thank u, thank u and thank u.
Nice one, I'm salivating already. Will definitely give it a try.
Thanks Onome. Do feedback when you've tried it????
Awesome....but can I opt out on the iru & crayfish?.....cos, I've got none
Thanks. Iru is one of the key components of this stew but yes you can opt out if you have none
Can't take my eyes off dis Ayamase sauce... Let me cook ofada rice now and imagine eating with this...
Lol.. Why don't you just cook the Ayamase stew while you're at it????
Thnks for the recipe.is it the normal green/sweet pepper used in salads or unripe tattashe?
You're welcome Jamila. Green bell pepper is Unripe tatashe
This is really nice, I normally cook it but I don't bleach d oil, sure will try d bleaching one soon & that of adding d locust beans twice, thanks for all ds clue, expecting more
You're welcome Kemi.bleaching the palmoil makes all the difference. Try it and you will be pleasantly surprised.
My sister who went to Babcock Uni always told of the delights of Iya Gbadun and once she bought some and brought home to us in Lagos. Wow! It was really something. She is also an expert at making this stew. Once, I tried to replicate her efforts and ended up almost burning down my kitchen and a burnt bum cos of an accident with hot oil. That was my first and last attempt at this sort of stew. Now I see, what I did wrong. This post is making me want to give it another go.
Wow..so sorry to read about your accident. Something similar happened to a friend of mine and that was because she opened the pot immediately after taking off heat, it went up in flames because of the exposure to atmospheric air which ofcourse contains oxygen. It ended up pouring on her thighs and legs. Fortunately it healed up nicely. Hope urs did too? That is why I always advise not to open the pot at all till oil is well cooled. I hope u get the courage to try again following my safety precaution tips 🙂
Good job olukemi.
Thank you Olori. I appreciate you taking time to leave a comment 🙂