Ofada stew or Ayamase is a tasty,spicy stew that you eat and just can’t forget.
It used to be a ”best-kept-secret’,’ and was only known by the natives and a few Mamaput/Buka(road side cooks) in south-western Nigeria; no wonder people just can’t get enough after a visit to the Buka.
Well, now we can all replicate these stew in our homes. So here’s the Ofada stew (Ayamase) recipe and below are frequently asked questions about this native stew. … hope you enjoy.
*Video recipe here
Ingredients for Ofada stew (Ayamase)
*7 Large Green bell peppers
*4 Green scotch bonnet peppers(atarodo)(It’s okay if it has some red spots)
*500 grams Assorted meat (beef,kpomo, cow foot,tripe(shaki)… or as desired)
*Assorted dry Fish (stock fish or dried fish)(optional)
*1/4 cup Crayfish (about a handful)
*1 wrap OR 1 tablespoonful Iru/dawadawa OR ogiri
*3 large Onions
*2 Stock cube/seasoning cube
*Salt to taste
*600ml Palm oil
Garnish:
*4 Hard Boiled eggs(without shell)
Tip: in the absence of stockfish(dried codfish), you can make use of fresh cod fish.
Cooking Directions
* Grind the iru and the crayfish together and set aside
* If you’re using stock fish and dried fish, wash and cook until tender, and set aside
* Wash and Cut the meat into bite sizes; season with onions, one stock cube and salt to taste. You can season the meat as you like 🙂
Cook until tender. It is always better to cook the tougher meat first, which in my case is the cow foot and the tripe(shaki). Then after 20 minutes ,add the beef and kpomo(cow skin).
When the meat is done cooking, you can grill or fry or simply set aside for later use.
Tip: the natives fry the meat in palm oil or grill it on homemade grill.
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| Assorted meat&fish(I used fresh cod fish) |
* Coarsely blend all the peppers &1 large onion together in a blender. You can add a LITTLE water to help move the blender blades.
Pour the blended mixture into a dry pot and heat up to dry out excess liquid from the peppers.
TIP: Another method is to pour the pepper mixture through a sieve(with a tight mesh), press down with a cooking spoon to make sure that you get out, as much liquid as possible, then set aside until needed.
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* Now ,place the palm oil on heat ,add some onion rings(adding the onions is optional but it gives extra flavor).
Cover the pot and bleach the palm oil on medium heat until the onions are completely burnt black and the palm oil changes from red to light brown in color.
If you didn’t add onions, the color will be light yellow(just like the color of vegetable oil).
Put off the heat, and let the oil cool completely without opening it. If you don’t cover it, THE OIL WILL SMOKE A LOT AND WILL SMELL ALL OVER THE HOUSE, and might start off the smoke alarm(if you have one).
* Place the bleached oil back on the stove-top(remove the burnt onions) and heat up a little, then add chopped onions, and the dried out peppers .
Cook for about 20 minutes and add the assorted meat and fish, ground iru,crayfish,the second stock cube and salt to taste. Mix thoroughly and simmer for 10 minutes.
Then add the peeled hard boiled eggs.
And your Ofada stew (Ayamase) is ready. Serve with Ofada rice(or any rice of choice), boiled yams, potatoes or plantains.
Frequently asked Questions
* Why is it called Ofada sauce?
This tasty sauce got it’s name from Ofada Rice, which is a local Nigerian Rice that is served with it. It is also known as ”Designer’s Stew” and is simply delicious.
* Why is the color of the stew different in some places?
The color of the stew (either greenish brown or
reddish brown) and consistency of the stew might differ from place to
place, due to the method of cooking.The longer you cook the ayamase, the darker it becomes.
* Do I need to bleach the palm oil before frying the stew?
Yes you have to. Bleaching the palm oil is one of the steps that gives Ofada stew (Ayamase) it’s distinct taste and aroma.
*I’m feeding a large group and the stew looks like it won’t go round, Can I add tomatoes to give the stew bulk?
Well, the ORIGINAL recipe doesn’t call for tomatoes, but if you don’t have more green bell peppers ;you can add a FEW tomatoes to increase the quantity of the stew.
Some of the restaurants I know, usually add a little blended tomatoes to the peppers they use for their Ofada stew (Ayamase), to help increase the quantity of the stew, That is why some ofada stews come out ”reddish brown”(mamaput has to make some money naa?..Lol )
If you want to do that, make sure that the tomatoes does not ”overpower” the green bell peppers. So that you don’t end up with Obe ata dindin.
So for the recipe provided above, you can add 3 fresh tomatoes.
* Why do you use only green scotch bonnet peppers for your Ayamase. Can I use red peppers or dried peppers?
Yes you can.The original recipe calls for all green, but hey! it won’t hurt to mix it up a bit,I assure you that you won’t notice the difference at all.
* How do I keep my green scotch bonnet peppers from going red before I’m ready to cook the stew?
If I get them all green, I always freeze mine and that stops it from turning red or orange.
* How do I bleach the palm oil without setting of the smoke alarm?
Lol.. all you need to do is cover the pot and heat up the oil on
low-medium heat for about 20 to 35 minutes. Then turn off the heat and
let it cool completely.Don’t open the lid/cover until the oil
is cool.
* Do I need to serve it with Ofada Rice?
No dear, you can serve with any rice of choice. It
also goes well with plantains, yams and potatoes.
HI there. Happy new year! I have been cooking a lot of ofada rice and enjoy its unique taste. Can you steer me towards a vege version of this stew I am vegan and know that all recipes can creatively be adapted to non meat/dairy versions that though obviously not the same, can allow me to enjoy the flavors that are so delicious. Do be flexible. Anything is possible Thanks, Andy
Author
Happy new year Andy, for a vegan version, simply leave out any ingredients that is not allowed in your lifestyle.
You can substitute the meat stock cubes for veggie cubes. Even though you won’t get exactly the same taste, you will still enjoy
the Ofada Stew.
Is it large green ball pepper or the small ones? If the small one is used, will it make the stew extra peppery? Spicy
Author
It is the large green bell pepper which is used for fried rice (not peppery at all) Of course the small one will make it extra peppery, you only need just a little of the small one (please read the recipe for clarification)
Is it large green ball pepper or the small ones? If the small one is used, will it make the stew extra peppery? Spicy
Do I need to remove the seeds of the green bell pepper before grinding?
Ofada stew has now become one of my best stew. All thanks to you. Since living in the UK, l have never enjoyed Nigerian delicacy as l do now since finding your website. Can't be grateful enough to you for all the useful and time saving ideas that you have taken the trouble to publish. Do you know where l can get Ofada rice in London. I have checked in the African shops but could not find it or does it have a different name? If l cannot get it, is there another rice that is similar in both taste and texture?
Hi Rosie, the long grain white rice will do just fine.
Please where can I get the ofada rice here in the USA because that's the only thing stopping me from making this stew. I really love ofada rice. #intearsforofadarice. Lol.
The stew also taste great with normal long grain rice.
wow ive looked for methods for ofada but urs is simply and easy to go by,thanks alot, good food keeps home happy.thumps up
🙂
Thanks, this is going to be my sunday special
u're welcome Lydia
I am not a stranger to cooking dis sauce but what I did find educating is d use of green bell peppers. I only use d green Scotch bonnets. I'll try using it next time. Thank u for dis maam
u're welcome
Good job, what is habanero?
fresh hot pepper, ata rodo
I cooked this for my husband and he was just thanking God for a nice meal.
thanks for your lovely feedback 🙂
Very easy recipe. I just made it and it tastes good…my 2nd attempt at Ofada stew ever! Sure my husband will enjoy it. Thank you. Meanwhile, i added one yellow bell pepper to mine as I had only two green peppers at home and I desperately wanted to make the stew 🙂 Turned out good still…And oh the oil-bleaching tip, fantastic! My whole house was so smoky the first time I made the stew.
I'm so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for your lovely feedback hun 🙂
Hi Nky. You are very good with your recipe. Thanks for sharing.
You're welcome dearie 🙂
Hi Nky. You are very good with your recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Well done for the good work dear am going to try ur recipe
ok dear, keep me posted.
oh my god! I cooked this for the first time yesterday and guess what? My fiance was all commenting me. He loved the dish and was eating it for the first time ever. Thank you ma. I will try another recipe for him today. Who knows…………winks. God bless you.
I'm so good you both enjoyed it. Keep me updated on any more recipes you try out. God bless you too hun 🙂
Hello it wasn't stated when I'm supposed to add the stock or water:( I love your blog..:)
Thanks dearie ,You don't need stock or water for ofada stew.
Thank you for this recipe.I'll be making this soon. How many servings is this recipe for?
You're welcome dearie.It serves about 5 to 8 persons.
I just made it. It took me a while to get it right, but when I did it turned out amazing. Thanks again.
You're always welcome. I'm so glad you got it right dearie and also enjoyed it 🙂
Thankz for your simple and onpoint recipe. Its so straight to d point and not difficult at all unlike other food blogs. Im so goin to try it out
Hi unknown person, thanks for your comment, I'll be expecting your feedback.
Please which is the scotch bonnet pepper? Cos m not sure if seeing the green ones in the market. Can the red b used? Would appreciate a picture. Though I know I can find the green bell pepper.
Hi dear, scotch bonnet pepper is the same small peppers (atarodo) you use for your red stew,and even though this recipe calls for green ones(as in the picture above), you can make use of the red one if you can't find the green.
Hi. Thanks for ur recipe. Pls I have a qtn. Is the ogiri in this recipe the same as dt used in oha soup
Yes dear, it's the same.
Hello Nky, thanks for sharing this recipe, I tried it and the stew turned out fantastic. I'm planning to make it again. Just wondering, will it work well if you use some fresh fish (e.g. point and kill) instead of adding so much meat?Thank you
Hi abbashalom,good to have you here and thanks for your lovely feedback dearie.As for the fish, I haven't tried with fresh point and kill, but I use fresh cod fish(the fresh version of stockfish) all the time and it usually comes out delish. So you can try it out and see how it turns out.You can also make use of more stockfish and less meat if you're watching you meat intake 🙂
My husband was craving ofada sauce and were talking about going to buy since I had never cooked it before. I come back to the room and he had Googled "how to make ofada", I laughed at him saying it looks like it's difficult to make. He ignored me and played your video. That's how we ended up watching about 5 of your videos. I got gingered, bought the ingredients at the market and it was quite easy to make. It came out fantastic!!!!! In fact, my husband said "thank God, we won't buy it outside anymore" Lmao. He even went to dish some to keep in the freezer so I won't eat it all. It is delicious! I am so proud of myself for trying it out. Oh and we also tried the efo riro, on point. Next week, I'll try the nkwobi :). Thank you for your easy breezy videos! Oh and I cooled the bleached oil in the fridge since I wasn't patient enough to wait for it to cool off on its own(I placed a wooden base under it before placing it in the fridge) and it worked well and fast too 😉
LOL..AWW , thanks for your lovely feedback, you just made my day. I like the way your husband reserved some in the freezer because this sauce can cause quarrel oo :). I'm glad to be of help, anytime.I'll be expecting your feedback on the nkwobi too, good to have you here hun 🙂
Thank you so much. This is lovely. I just got a similar recipe from my sister recently and it was awesome. I really appreciate your advice on keeping out the smoke. I will do that next time. Also thanks for letting me know rice is not the only dish this stew works with. I was almost going to deprive myself of the joys of ayamase because of the high carb content of riceThanks againKeep up the good work
Thanks Eseosa, I'm always glad to be of help 🙂
Instead of the large green bell pepper, can I use the orange one?
No dearie, you can't make use of the orange one.
You make it looks so easy to cook ayamase thks a millon but this recipe is for how many serving
Thanks dear, I serves about 10. But you know some people eat more than others 🙂
can it be red bell peppers instead of green?
No you can't make use of red bell peppers dearie.
Good job, God bless you
Thanks dear, God bless you too 🙂
Good job, God bless you
Good job, God bless you
OMG! I used your recipe and cooked this stew yesterday, it came out soooooo perfect, my husband couldn't stop commenting on how delicious it was. He's Yoruba and was so surprise I cooked it so well since I am not Yoruba. Thank you so much, God bless you!
God bless you too hun 🙂
OMG! I used your recipe and cooked this stew yesterday, it came out sooooo perfect, my husband couldn't stop commenting on it. His Yoruba and was so shocked that I cooked it so well since I am not Yoruba. Thank you so much, God bless you!
I'm so glad you tried the recipe and enjoyed it. Thanks for your lovely feedback Hun 🙂
how much oil did you use? recipe doesnt mention
About 600ml Palm oil
Hi your recipes are delightful but don't know what ogiri is am sure i can get it in African shop.
thanks hun, ogiri is fermented locust beans, and you'll surely get it at the African store.
Ma,ur cookin method is simply wonderful.thnx for ds ministry atleast ure savin homes.buh d market wher I buy thins Its difficult to get unripe bell pepper dat hs bn my challenge,wht can I use to substitute it.thnx
Thanks sweetie. There is no substitute for the green bell peppers. They are mostly used for fried rice and salad, if you are in Nigeria, check where salad things are sold.
Ma,ur cookin method is simply wonderful.thnx for ds ministry atleast ure savin homes.buh d market wher I buy thins Its difficult to get unripe bell pepper dat hs bn my challenge,wht can I use to substitute it.thnx
Thanks sweetie. There is no substitute for the green bell peppers. They are mostly used for fried rice and salad, if you are in Nigeria, check where salad things are sold.
Perfect I'm so excited I'm making it again for easter. Bless you plenty
Bless you too sweetie and happy easter celebration 🙂
I can't wait to make it, the only issue is I have just 4 bell peppers. Hope it works. .will keep you updated
4 large ones will be fine. So how did it turn out, hun ?
Thanks so much, it's so straight forward, I'm actually gonna prepare it as a gift to my pregnant sis in law
Aww ,I'm sure she'll love it 🙂
Awesome, your article was very informative, keep up the good work
Thanks dear 🙂
(Wish i had found this site earlier) I used a recipe from another site and it says to use 2 green bell peppers and 40 hebanero pepper, the sauce came out good only now it's too spicy can i make another bash and just ad it to it?
You can make another smaller bash and mix it with the first one, but this time leave out the habanero peppers.
Can vegetable oil be used instead of palm oil?.
No dear, it won't taste the same 🙂
can vegetable oil be used instead of palm oil..
Good girl! the method is so simple and straight forward,when i'm cooking ayamase,very stressful 4 me,your method makes live easy,love u
Thanks dear ,luv ya too 🙂
I need to know what to have for dinner using Nigerian foods, please.
There are so many recipes to choose from dear. Click above on ''see more Nigerian food recipes''.
You're welcome Toyin. Locust beans adds a native taste to the ofada stew, but you can do without it dear 🙂
"1 wrap OR 1 tablespoonful Iru/dawadawa OR ogiri'–I am in US so not sure about these ingredients. Can I use something else as replacement?
You can omit it dear , if you can't find it in the African stores 🙂
1) ''Wash and Cut the meat into bite sizes; season with onions, stock cube and salt to taste''.2)"Cook for about 20 minutes and add the assorted meat and fish, ground iru,crayfish,stock cube and salt to taste."——Do you use stock cube twice? Are these beef stock cube or chicken stock cube? 1 wrap OR 1 tablespoonful Iru/dawadawa OR ogiri—-Are these necessary to make this dish?Also, Crayfish and Crawfish are synonyms–Correct? Did you use dried Crawfish? I see you also used Cod fish. Correct? Thanks in advance.
Hi dear, the first stock cube was used to cook the meat, while the second was used to add extra seasoning to the stew.I like to use beef stock cubes,but you can also make use of chicken stock cubes if that's what you have dear.As for the dawadawa/ogiri, use one wrap if you buy it fresh in wraps at the African stores, but if you get them dried, grind it and use 1 tablespoonful. Dawadawa/ogiri gives ofada sauce a native and authentic taste,but if you can't find it,no problems, you can leave it out.Yes, they are synonymous, I used ground dried crayfish. The cod fish goes well with this sauce, the dried version(stockfish is generally used, but since I had a few salted cod at home, I decided to use it instead :).Hope I was able to help, let me know how it turns out dearie 🙂
What is seasoning cube or stock cube?
It's maggi cube or knorr cube dear 🙂
Lovely
thanks 🙂
The photos just killed me.. I actually licked my BB screen.. well done
Lol… thanks dear 🙂