THERE IS A TYPE OF STEW IN NIGERIA PRECISELY YORUBA LAND, THAT'S CALLED AYAMASE STEW. ITS A COMBINATION OF GREEN PEPPERS, LOCUST BEANS AND A WHOLE OTHER INGREDIENTS. THESE ARE BLENDED AND FRIED INTO A BLEACHED RED OIL. THEN STIRRED IN WITH THE ADDITION OF LOCUST BEANS AND OTHER SEASONINGS, BUT I DECIDED TO GIVE MINE A HEALTHY AND LOW CALORIE TWIST.
YOU WOULD NOTICE THE SLIGHT DIFFERENCE IN MY STEW TO THE USUAL YORUBA DISH ESPECIALLY WITH THE ABSENCE OF LOCUST BEANS WHICH IS SO NICE AND VERY GOOD, BUT I DIDN’T ADD IN THIS RECIPE. ALSO APART FROM GREEN PEPPERS THERE ARE CABBAGES AND CARROTS WITH SPRING ONIONS. ALSO, INSTEAD OF BLEACHING MY OIL I JUST STARTED COOKING AND STIRRING IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT FRYING.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS DISH IS THE ABSENCE OF TOMATOES LIKE A FULL BLOWN NIGERIAN STEW AND WITH JUST A COMBINATION OF BLENDED VEGES, SPICES AND RED OIL YOU CAN STILL HAVE A FULL BLOWN DELICIOUS STEW/SAUCE FOR YOUR RICE. YOU DON’T NEED TO FRY YOUR STEW/SAUCES FOR IT TO TASTE GOOD AS IS THE POPULAR BELIEVE, REGARDLESS OF THE TYPE IT WOULD STILL TASTE DELICIOUS OR EVEN MORE DELICIOUS. FRYING ISN'T THE SECRET TO A DELICIOUS SAUCE OR STEW, ITS MAINLY THE INGREDIENTS AND SEASONING THAT DOES THE TRICK.
I USUALLY PREVENT MYSELF FROM FRYING MOST TIMES, BECAUSE IT ISN'T TOO HEALTHY OR GOOD FOR OUR BODIES BECAUSE OF THE FATTY CONTENT AND CARCINOGENS THAT RESULTS FROM THAT AND I HAVEN'T REGRETTED IT. WE CAN TRY TO KEEP OUR NIGERIAN DISHES AS HEALTHY AS POSSIBLE AND STILL HAVE A DELICIOUS MEAL. IF WE MUST FRY, WE CAN MAKE THE EFFORT OF USING HEALTHY OILS AND PLANT OILS, STILL FATTY BUT HEALTHY TO A DEGREE.
I PAIRED THIS WITH MY OWN HONEY GLAZED CHICKEN AND IT WAS A BLAST.
SO LETS GET COOKING...
FULL RECIPE
INGREDIENTS - SOME CUT OUT CABBAGES, GREEN PEPPERS, CARROTS, SPRING ONIONS - SALT - GHANA PEPPER - LYDIA'S CHEERY SPICES (COMBINATION OF A LITTLE GROUNDED CINNAMON,CORIANDER,BLACK PEPPER,CHILI PEPPER AND BARBECUE SPICE) - A CUP AND A HALF OR TWO CUPS OF RED OIL - ONIONS - 1 CUP OF OPORO CRAYFISH(HALF BLENDED THE REMAINING HALF LEFT WHOLE WITH THE HEAD CUT OFF FOR GARNISHING) - GARLIC AND GINGER - CUT OUT CHICKEN - DARK SOY SAUCE - HONEY
PREP
- WASH YOUR CHICKEN THOROUGHLY, TRY PEELING THE SKIN OFF AND THEN TRANSFER TO A BOWL. - SEASON YOUR CHICKEN TO TASTE JUST THE WAY YOU LIKE IT.
- COVER AND KEEP TO MARINATE FOR 15 TO 20MINS OR WHILE YOU PREP YOUR VEGETABLES
- CUT YOUR VEGETABLES INTO SMALL PIECES INSIDE YOUR BLENDER/FOOD PROCESSOR AND BLEND FINELY BUT NOT TOO SMOOTH,JUST A LITTLE ROUGH OR LUMPY
- IN A POT POUR IN THE RED OIL, NORMALLY YOU WOULD BLEACH THE OIL(LEAVE IT FOR A LONG TIME TO TURN CLEAR AND WHITISH), BUT IN THIS CASE WE ARE TRYING TO KEEP IT AS HEALTHY AS POSSIBLE ABiii?
- IMMEDIATELY AFTER YOU POUR IN YOUR OIL ADD YOUR ONION STIR IN YOUR VEGES IMMEDIATELY AFTER STIRRING COVER LEAVE TO STEAM FOR 1 MIN
- NEXT ADD YOUR SPICES SALT, DRIED PEPPER. SEASON YOUR SAUCE TO YOUR TASTE WITH THE SPICES, EXCEPT STOCK CUBES.( FIRSTLY, I DON’T ADVICE THE USE OF STOCK CUBES, I THINK ITS NOT JUST ME, I HAVE HEARD FROM MOST COOKS OR CHEF THAT IT MAKES YOUR MEAL HAVE ONE PARTICULAR TASTE, WHICH I GOT TO DISCOVER IS VERY TRUE. IF YOU WANT YOUR DISHES TO HAVE A VARIETY OF TASTES FROM THE INGREDIENTS ADDED TO YOUR FOOD, STOCK CUBE WONT HELP WITH THAT.
SECONDLY AND MOST ESP THEY ARE NOT TOO GOOD FOR YOUR HEART AND BODY, THEY CONTAIN MSG(MONO-SODIUM GLUTAMATE), TRANS-FAT WHICH IS A BAD FAT AND CHOLESTEROL. CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEVE, YOUR MEAL CAN BE VERY TASTY WITHOUT STOCK CUBES. YOU JUST NEED TO KNOW HOW TO YO USE YOUR INGREDIENTS AND NATURAL SPICES.).
- STIR YOUR SAUCE LEAVE TO COOK FOR 5MINS AND THEN LASTLY PUT IN YOUR OKPORO CRAYFISH BLENDED AND WHOLE, STIR LEAVE TO COOK FOR THREE MINUTES TASTE AND REMOVE FROM HEAT.
- FOR THE CHICKEN, POUR YOUR HONEY AND A LITTLE SOY SAUCE INTO ANOTHER BOWL AND MIX WITH A SPOON, THEN READY A BAKING PAN LINED WITH A BAKING SHEET OR FOIL PAPER. IF YOU DON’T HAVE ANY OF THOSE, JUST GREASE YOUR PAN WITH OIL SO YOUR CHICKEN DOES NOT STICK TO THE PAN.
- DEEP EACH CHICKEN FRONT AND BACK INTO THE HONEY AND LINE ON YOUR PAN.
- PUT IN YOUR OVEN ON MEDIUM EACH FOR 45MINS TO AN HOUR.
- THE HONEY WOULD MAKE IT GET BROWN AND BURN QUICKLY. JUST TO BE SAFE MAKE SURE YOU TURN EACH SIDES AT INTERVAL AND WHEN BOTH SIDES ARE VERY WELL CARAMELIZED OR BROWNISH WITHOUT BEEN STICKY, BRING DOWN FROM HEAT BECAUSE THAT’S THE COLOR WE NEED.
- SERVE YOUR SAUCE AND CHICKEN WITH RICE AND SOME SALADS OR GREEN VEGETABLES TO MAKE THE DISH MORE NUTRITIOUS, BECAUSE REMEMBER THAT THE VEGETABLES IN THE SAUCE HAVE BEEN COOKED FOR LONG AND A LOT OF ITS NUTRIENTS HAVE BEEN COOKED OUT, SO ADDING SOME ADDITIONAL VEGETABLES BY THE SIDE WHEN YOU ARE ABOUT TO EAT MAKES THE DISH MORE NUTRITIOUS.
THIS DISH IS ACTUALLY SUPER EASY THAN IT SOUNDS AND VERY VERY VERY DELICIOUS… ENJOY
Comments