AYAMASE(OFADA) STEW!!!

Ayamase also known as Designer Stew  is a very popular dish among the people from Abeokuta(Ijebu's) State, Nigeria.This meal is served locally along side the famous Ofada rice and I guess that was how the name "Ofada stew "came about. This was my 1st time trying this meal and I tell you!! It was worth the try. The mixture of fried locust beans, fresh bonnet peppers and meat stock got my kitchen smelling like Heaven. This meal is one easy but delicate one to make as everything has to be fried properly and it isn't one to be left unattended in the kitchen because the cooking process is quite fast and several ingredients are added on a specific time.

My yoruba people I hail oo!! for real, this meal was delicious and I was surprised at such local sweetness. Being that I am from Delta State, Nigeria and I have lived in my State all my life(kinda), this was my 1st time experimenting such deliciousness lolzz, All I had in my head was the popular Aya Mase name nothing else but now....The story has changed(hurray). Don't mind me and my many talk, let me give you guys a run through of the food preparation.

Yield: about 6 servings.


Ingredients

• Shaki/Towel meat (Rectum of a cow)
• Cowleg meat
• Smoked beef
• 2 green bell peppers
• 1 cup of palmoil (roughly less)
• 12 seeds of Scotch bonnet peppers (not fully ripe)
• 6 red chilli peppers
• 10 fruits of tomatoes (not fully ripe)
• 1 large onion (chopped into tiny bits)
• 2 Tbsp of grounded crayfish
• 2 wraps of Iru (fermented locust beans)
• Beef stock (water from spiced up, cooked beef meat)
• 1 Tbsp of dried chilli pepper(optional)
• 2 maggi cubes
• 1/2 Tbsp of salt
• N.B....Total quantity of meat used was up to 3/4 cups and I blended all peppers and tomatoes with by adding little water to the blender to avoid friction. Then I steamed the blended tomatoes till it became thick and reduced in quantity. I blended my Iru wraps with crayfish to break it down but if you are using the seed form of beans ....that's excellent.

Directions

Place a pot on cooker set on medium heat and add the palm oil, allow the palm oil to belch(you would notice the oil turns translucent and slightly brown but not black). Make sure you belch for only a few minutes,add in a pint of salt and chopped onions then stir....you would notice that the onions fries easily and fast. Add in the steamed fresh tomatoes and peppers and stir about 2 minutes then add in the blended Iru along side crayfish (you can add in your fresh locust beans at this stage). Cover the pot and let mixture cook for 2 minutes.

You would notice that tomatoes looks dry as the palm oil floats to the top, add in your assorted meats (meat combination) and a little meat stock about half a cup then stir together and taste (It is essential to add in meat stock 1st before adding your dried spices, so as not to add too much spice and enable one add in more seasoning as required after tasting). Add more salt and maggi seasoning, if need be!!(but be mindful of quantity as crayfish is in the stew already). Cover pot lid and let stew cook for 3 more minutes, you would notice that the oils from the meat and palm oil is mixed and has settled on  top of the stew. If not, cover pot and let stew cook for extra 2 minutes and VIOLA.....Stew is ready!!

Serve stew with ofada rice(unpolished rice), jasmine rice, yams, unripe boiled plantain, boiled ripe plantain, fried ripe plantain(dodo) or even scented rice such as basmati rice which I did.....ENJOY!!

Recipe: Uzzy_rac