Salad dressings & dips
Suya spice blend
This nutty spice blend will enchant you, just as it has done so many who adore suya, the much loved grilled street food popular in Nigeria and across West Africa.
This recipe comes from 'Africana: Treasured recipes and stories from across the continent' by Lerato Umah-Shaylor (HQ, HarperCollins). Image credit to Tara Fisher.
Cook's notes
If you have peanut powder, you can use the equivalent quantity of peanuts. Simply toast the powder in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for a few minutes, stirring continuously, until slightly darker golden in colour. While I love sharing recipes that are easily adaptable to suit varying diets, geographical locations and availability, I must tell you that for the true essence of suya, I consider ginger to be a very important spice. Replace peanuts with almonds or other nuts for those with tree nut allergies, or use toasted sesame seeds or tahini paste to achieve that rich, nutty flavour suya is known for.
Ingredients
- 100g unsalted roasted peanuts
- 10 pods of selim pepper (optional
- but wonderful)
- 5 tbsp ground ginger
- 2 tbsp garlic granules
- 2 tbsp onion granules
- 1 tbsp cayenne pepper (or ½ tbsp
- for less heat)
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp paprika (optional)
Method
-
Step 1
Place the nuts in a coffee or spice grinder and blitz in 1-second short bursts, to a fine powder. Be careful not to grind for too long as the nuts will quickly turn into peanut butter.
-
Step 2
Transfer the nuts to a piece of muslin or clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much oil as possible, until you are left with a cookie-dough-like texture. Tip into a bowl and break into fine crumbs using a fork.
-
Step 3
Add all the spices and seasonings to the bowl with the peanuts and mix well.
-
Step 4
Store in an airtight container or glass jar away from direct sunlight for up to 3 months. The spice blend can also be mixed into tomato sauces, vegetable and bean dips, or sprinkled onto salads and roasts. The possibilities are just endless and wonderful.