Tag: african food

Ofe Nsala

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Hey guys, first thing I want to do is apologize for being MIA. When you get married, your whole life changes! I went from going to school and working (thinking about myself) to now a full-time wife who has think about what her husband will eat Lol. I am so thankful for this new chapter in my life, because of my husband it has given me new recipe ideas and inspiration.

Ofe Nsala (white soup) is One of my all-time favorites Nigerian soup. It’s a white based soup made with fresh fish and uziza leaf. Many tribes in Nigeria make this soup in different versions. As you know I’m front the Igbo tribe, we make this soup with the native leaf Uziza or utazi leaf.

I consulted my sister in-law for some tips on how to make ofe-Nsala, the traditional way. She came all the way through, Thanks Vi-Vi.

I hope you enjoy this authentic recipe, it will surely bring home to your taste buds.

Ingredients

1 large catfish (skin on, chopped into 6-8 pieces)

1/4 c of crayfish

2 Tbsp of pepe soup mix

1/4 cup of uZiza leaf

2-3 pieces of cut yam

2 Tbsp of red pepper

3 Maggi cubes

1 tbsp of ogiri

1 small onion

Stock fish ( I uses a small amount )

1 small dry fish

2 pepe

Prep

Boil yam and stock fish until tender. Mash yam in mortar or blend with small water in blender.

Soak dry fish in warm water

Blend 2 pepe (habanero or scotch bonnet) with small water

Begin

Take the cat fish and place into a large pot. Cover the catfish with water. Begin to season with 1 Maggi cube, onion powder , salt and pepper. Add in 1 small chopped onions. Bring to a boil, cook only for 6-10 minutes. You want to parboil the fish, to make a fish broth. Remove fish from the broth. (your fish should be half way cooked)

Next Add into the broth, the crayfish, ogiri , pepper, Maggie cubes, pepper soup mix, and uziza leaves. Also add in your dry fish and stock fish. Bring to a boil while stirring.

Next add your pounded yam paste, table spoon by table spoon. Continue to cook on medium- high heat while stirring . The pounded yam will melt into the soup. Continue to add more pounded yam to your preference, depending on how thick you want your soup.

Lastly add your catfish back into the soup . Continue to cook on low for about 5-10 minutes making sure your catfish is done.

Enjoy with Pounded yam.

Please drop your questions below.

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Beef Suya 

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Suya,Suya!! What is Suya ? Some are wondering. Suya is a type of spicy meat on a skewer . Most people use beef or chicken to make Suya. Suya spice is a special blend of peppers and spices. The combination of all the spices is heavenly. Aunthentic Suya spice contains some local herbs straight from the motherland. 

I was tired of going to the African store and buying suya spice, that was so bland. Through frustrations I was inspired to make my own authentic Suya spice. After conducting research, traveling back to Nigeria to get some ingredients, and many failed errors and trials, I finally invented my own Suya spice! 
** If you would like to place an order, please send an email to kegoskitchen@gmail.com **


Recipe below

Ingredients 

1 lb of beef (eye round , stew meat, or chuck ) 

1/2 cup of KegosKitchen Suya spice 

1/2 cup of oil 

Skewers 

Pan with a wire rack (or cover baking sheet with foil) 


Preheat oven to 340 degrees

Pre soak skewers in cold water for at least 30 minutes to prevent burning.

Chop up beef into thin pieces, as pictured above 

Pat dry beef with paper towel.

Sprinkle meat with oil and mix well. 

Begin to string about 4 pieces of meat on a skewer.


Pour Suya spice on a flat plate. 


Begin to dab each skewers in the Suya spice making sure to cover all areas of the meat. 

When done place meat on baking sheet or wire rack. 


Bake for 20 minutes. Remove and flip over. Bake again for another 20 minutes. 

Lastly Broil (500 degrees )  the Suya for 3 minutes to achieve that smokey grill taste. 

Sprinkle extra Suya spice on top, and garnish with chopped onions and tomatoes. Enjoy 👌🏾 

Coconut Jollof 

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Jollof with a hint of coconut is amazing. This recipe is my everyday go to method to making coconut jollof.

 Ingredients

 1 can of coconut milk

4 cups of parboiled rice

5-7 roman tomatoes

1 can of tomato paste

1 red bell pepper

1 onion

1/2 tsp of nutmeg

1 tbsp of ginger

2 maggi cubes

1 tsp of thyme

1 tsp of curry

vegatable oil

3 tbsp of mince ginger

1 TBsp of crayfish

1 tsp of red peper

 2 lbs of boiled meat

2 cups of meat stock

 

Blend you tomatoes, habanero, and red bell peper and set aside

 

In a pot begin to fry in oil your tomamto paste, ginger, and onions, for about 2-3 mins. Once onions are semi-burnt pour in tomato mixture. 


 

Cover and fry the tomato mixture for about 20 minutes until the liquid evaporates and the stew becomes thicker. ( Add in curry, maggi, thyme, nutmeg,bay leaf and ginger )

 

Next add in coconut milk and meat stock, mix throughly.

 

** Tip ** make sure you wash your rice with cold water about 3 times

 

Your sauce should have a orange look to it, this is fine lol taste and adjust as needed

 

Add in rice, the mixture of stew and rice should be equal.


 

Place stove of low low heat and cover and allow to cook for 10-15 minutes.

 

You may notice that it is beginning to burn, this is normal lol.

 

If more liquid is needed add in a 1/2 cup of water, if not proceed to the next step.

 

Cover pot with a piece of foil, making sure to seal all openings.

 

Cook for another 10 minutes until done .


 

 

 

 

Peri Peri Chicken 

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I finally got to visit the world famous Nando’s in Chicago. I had heard so much about this South African restaurant. I quickly ordered the chicken and it was amazing, I knew that I had to recreate it !! My recreation turned out so good, enjoy my recipe .

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs of chicken

1 red bell pepper

1/2 cup of fresh oregano leaves

5 pierces of garlic cloves

1 lemon

Red Serrano peppers 3-5 (depending on your spice preference )

1 purple onion

Thumb size of ginger

1/2 cup of olive oil

5 pieces of green onion

Hand ful of parsley (garnishing )

2 Maggie cubes

3 bay leafs

Preheat oven to 500

Cut up red bell pepper and purple onion and begin to roast in oven for 10-15 minutes

Lower oven to 375

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Begin to blend green onion, red bell pepper, oregano, ginger,garlic, red Serrano pepper,2 tbsps of paprika, bay leaf, and oil. Squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon.  Set aside, make sure to leave out 1/2 cup of this sauce on the side * ( tip- you can add a dash of water to help blend)

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Season chicken with Maggi, salt, garlic/ onion powder, and curry powder.

Dash some oil upon chicken.

Next begin to pour the peppered mixture upon chicken, mix well .

Depending on the type of bake ware you are using, I would recommend using a baking sheet with a cooking rack ( so the juices from the chicken will drop into the pan.)  If you don’t have one it’s fine.

Place chicken in baking pan.

Begin to bake at 375 for 20 minutes. If there is a lot of water coming front the chicken at this point drain it into a bowl. Turn your chicken and continue to bake for another 20 minutes. Re-baste the chicken with the juices.

Next place oven on broiler mode, broil for 3 minutes for that crisp effect. (Make sure not to burn it )

Remove chicken from oven. Using the sauce that was put aside earlier from blending, rebaste chicken using a brush.  Garnish with chopped parsley

Enjoy

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Buttery Suya Crabs

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Suya and crabs mixed together is heaven. Try my new invention!!

Ingredients

2 crab claws

3 tbsp of minced garlic

3 tbsp of chopped fresh rosemary

cajun spice

kegos kitchen suya spice ( or any Suya spice lol)

garlic powder

paprika

black pepper

2 tbsp of brown sugar

2 tbsp of harbanero sauce

1/2 lemon

1/2 a stick of butter

Preheat oven to 350

Begin to melt butter in a small pot on low heat. Add in rosemary and garlic. Next add in 2 pinches of the above seasoning ( except for the suya ). Lastly squeeze in the lemon juice. Allow to simmer, then add in brown sugar.


Sprinkle about 3 tbsp of suya spice over the crab

With a brush, begin to baste the crab legs with the sauce. When done place in oven for 20 minutes. At 10 minute mark remove and re-baste with the liquid in the pan.


Garnish with chopped parsley.


Enjoy

Designer Stew

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Designer stew also known as Ayamase or Ofada stew, is traditional Nigerian dish. Coming out of the yoruba tribe. Its different from the traditional red stew that is very common in Nigeria. I first tasted designer stew in my college days and fell in love. Im so thankful my roommate taught me how to make it . I hope you enjoy this recipe.

Ingredients

6 green bell peppers

2 medium yellow onions

1 medium chopped red onion

1  and 1/2 cup of palm oil

4 habanero (green if possible)

1/4 cup of iru (locust beans )

5 boiled eggs

1/4 cup cray fish

2 lbs of meat, shaki,ponmo

1/2 meat broth

dry fish

3 maggi cube

Prep

Season your meat of choice. Boil with onions and maggi.  Separate meat from broth, set aside when done.

Directions

Blend all green bell peppers and 3 habenero until smooth. place mixture in a strainer to drain the excess water. Set aside.

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In a separate pot pour in the oil and begin to heat it up on a medium-high setting. Make sure the pot is covered. Leave the pot covered for the next 10 minutes. Once it has reached 10 minutes turn off the heat . DO NOT OPEN THE POT. Leave the pot to cool off for the next 10 minutes. Your  palm oil is now bleached.

Once cooled off open pot and add in chopped red onion and the iru. Put back on medium high heat and begin to fry for the next 3-5 minutes.

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Next add in the green pepper mix and continue to fry for 3- 5 mins.

Next add in your meat, dry fish,cray fish,1/2 cup of broth, eggs, and 2 maggi cubes.

Continue to cook for the next 20 to 30 minutes on low medium heat. You will notice oil rising to the top. Remove excess oil by spooning it out.

Enjoy

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Egusi Soup

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So I’m finally putting up my egusi soup recipe. Egusi soup is one of my favorite type of Nigerian foods. So rich and yummy. Its easy to make. I hope you enjoy this recipe.

Ingredients

1/4 cup of palm oil

3 habanero

1 cup of ground egusi

2 tbsp of iru (locust bean)

2 maggi cubes

2 lbs of meat of choice ( goat, chicken, hen)

1 lb of shaki (cow stomach)

1 cup of stock fish or 2 big pieces

1 large piece of dried fish

Dried  red pepper

1 cup of chopped spinach

1/2 cup of bitter leaf

2 small tomatoes

1/2 red bell pepper

2 yellow onion

1/4 cup of ground crayfish

1 tbsp of ground uziza

Preparation

Chop up one onion and one habanero. Season meat with salt, pepper,curry, onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper, and paprika. Place the meat in a pot or in a pressure cooker. Add in chopped onion, 1 chopped habanero, and 1 maggi cube. Fill pot with water, covering the meat. Begin to boil. If your cooking goat meat, always check to make sure there is enough water, refill as need. If your cooking hen or chicken it should be done in 30 minutes. If your cooking goat meat expect a longer wait time. Once meat is done, remove meat from your stock, and place aside.

In a separate pot, boil your shaki and stock fish. It should take about 30-45 minutes to be tender. drain and place aside.

Blend, 2 tomatoes, half red bell pepper, 2 habanero, and iru. Place aside.

Soak your dried fish in luke warm water.

Method

Add 1/2 chopped onion to a pot. Pour in your palm oil. Heat up until you notice smoke arising from the oil. Next add in your egusi and stir. Continue to fry for 2-3 minutes while mixing. Next add in your pepper mixture, continue to stir and cook for the next 5 minutes on med-hi temperature. Next add in you meat stock that should add up to 2 cups. ( if your meat stock is not enough, just replace with water). Add in your crayfish, uziza, 1 tbsp of red pepper and 1 maggi cube, and continue to stir. Next add in all your meat, shaki and stock fish. Continue to now add in your spinach and bitter leaf.

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Last but not least add in your dried fish. Mix everything together and let simmer on medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Enjoy with a side of swallow!

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Baked Moi Moi Cups

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Moi Moi also known as bean cake, is a popular type of food in Nigeria, made out of beans, onions and peppers. Usually one can enjoy them in steamed form. But baking is so much easier. Also making them into cup form turns it into an easy on-the-go snack or meal. Not to mention this is #fitfam approved.  I hope you enjoy my recipe.

Ingredients

1 and 1/2 cups of black eye beans

1 chopped onion

1 large red bell pepper

1 tsp of nutmeg

1 tsp of ginger

2 large cooking spoons of palm oil or olive oil

salt

1 maggi cube

1/2 cup of ground crayfish

1 habanero

12 count muffin pan

Preheat your oven to 375 F. Preferably soak your beans over night to loosen the skin. remove skin from the beans.

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Combine the beans, habanero, onion,red bell pepper, and 1 cup of war water. Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl.

 

In a separate bowl warm your oil in the microwave for about 1 minute. Add in your maggi and mix .

Add in the oil mixture into the large bowl. Also add in the crayfish, nutmeg, ginger, and a little salt

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*Be sure to taste your batter, making sure there is enough salt.

With an electric mixer or spatula, mix the batter for a good 3-5 minutes, until smooth.

Oil cupcake pan with oil.

Pour in batter into each cup, making sure no to fill to the rim

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Pour water into a baking tray, place muffin tray into the baking tray (the steam from the water will help cook the moi moi)

  • optional: you can now add pieces of egg, corned beef, or fish into your muffin

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Cover muffin pan with foil. Place in the center of oven. Bake for 45 minutes. At the halfway mark, make sure there is still water in the baking pan, refill as needed. Check your moi moi with a toothpick by sticking it in the center, if it comes out dry it is done. If its wet, continue to bake for about 5-10 minutes.

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When done allow to cool for 30 minutes. Enjoy

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