HOW TO MAKE SUYA SPICE

Suya spice –  Hello, spicy food lovers add bold seasoning and flavor to just about any dish with this fantastic Suya Spice Mix! Delicious on fish, chicken, potatoes, and more! 

HOMEMADE SUYA SPICE RECIPE – YAJI SPICE

The Suya spice, or yaji spice as it’s commonly known, is a delicious West African bold and spicy seasoning blend usually used for grilled meats.

Suya spice is a spice blend full of flavor and heat. It has peanuts as its primary ingredient with other spices such as garlic powder, ginger powder, cloves, and much more.

For those who don’t know, suya is a popular street food found in the streets of Nigeria, Ghana, and Sierra Leone. It is made from spiced meat grilled over a charcoal fire. Suya is a savory and spicy meat that can be eaten as a snack, an appetizer, or a main dish. So if you’re looking for an appetizer to enjoy during your next game day party, look no further than this Nigerian Suya.

WHAT IS SUYA SPICE?

Suya spice is a blend of spices used in the preparation of suya. It is a popular African spice mix or meat rub in West Africa, and it is widely sold in Nigeria and Ghana, and some other west African countries. The uniqueness of this delicacy lies in its peanut taste and spicy flavor it can turn any dish into something extraordinary.

Suya spice blend consists of ingredients such as cloves, salt, ginger, chilis, and much more, with peanut as the main ingredient.

INGREDIENTS FOR MAKING SUYA SPICE

While this is my tried and true recipe, tested and approved by friends and family, the beauty of this recipe is that there’s some wiggle room based on what spices you have on hand, and you can cater them to your taste. 

The suya spice consists of the following ingredients:

•  Peanut Butter 100 percent peanuts no additives
• Hot boiling water
• Smoked Paprika
• Dried whole red chili about 2tbsp blended
• Salt
• Onion Powder
• Ginger powder
• Garlic powder
• Cloves
• Seasoning powder or just crush the cubes
• African nutmeg

HOW TO MAKE SUYA SPICE

There is no single recipe for this mixture of spices. Instead, there are in fact, many versions. Traditionally, the spice is made with kuli-kuli, a snack made from peanuts, but in this recipe, I’m going to show you how I make this spice with peanut butter. It’s faster, delicious, and highly customizable.

Regardless of how suya spice is made, when the seasonings are combined perfectly in their ratios, all these flavors create a unique spice blend you actually have to taste to understand why it’s used so widely in Nigeria.

• Choose the thickest peanut butter brand you can ever find: When making the powder, be sure to buy a peanut brand that is very thick, also make sure to drain the oil over the butter, and scoop off a couple of tablespoons off the surface of the butter so that you can reach the thickest part of the peanut butter which is usually at the bottom. Oily peanut butter will not work for this.
• Prep the peanut butter: Mix the thick peanut butter with hot boiling water and mix well before the water gets cold. At this point the peanut butter would have become quite thick.
• Bake to dehydrate: Crumble the peanut butter in a baking tray and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, checking and stirring every time to ensure it doesn’t burn.
• Break up the lumps: Break up and lumps in the dehydrated peanut butter with your finger. You can also use a sieve to sift the powder to get a finer texture.
• Mix in the seasoning and spices: Combine all the seasoning. Mix well!
• Enjoy your suya spice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvrXp9GD2es&t=140s

ORIGIN

The origin of Suya is not clear, but it is believed to have originated in the northern part of Nigeria, where it is now a staple street food. The meat used for suya is usually goat, beef, or chicken. Although, grilled veggies may also be used. 

It has become a cultural icon and is one of the most recognizable Nigerian foods. Its popularity even transcended the border to other West African countries.

It has become a cultural icon and is one of the most recognizable Nigerian foods. Its popularity even transcended the border to other West African countries.

HOW TO USE SUYA SPICE

The mixture is used to season the beef, fish, chicken, and much more, providing them with spiciness and depth of flavor. However, I don’t limit this spice to just these uses. I like to sprinkle it on my salad and sliced tomatoes. My kids especially love it sprinkled over sliced cucumbers.

You can also get creative with this seasoning. Use it as a rub for practically any meat or fish – it’s a great grill seasoning! Toss it in with roasted veggies, or sprinkle it over eggs.

WHERE TO BUY

Suya spice can be bought from stores or prepared at home using fresh ingredients. Although typical local supermarkets generally do not carry suya spice, African grocers are most likely to have it in stock. Of course, if all else fails, it is widely available online via Amazon and other web vendors. However, nothing beats the fresh taste of homemade spice blends.

STORAGE

Yaji spice has a long shelf life. Just be sure to store it in a cool, dry place like your pantry. However, I like to stay on the safe side and I store any leftover after a month in the freezer.

If you love spice mixes like I do, you will love these ones too:

• Creole seasoning mix
• Jamaican Jerk seasoning

Note: please be sure to drain the oil off of the peanut butter, then scoop a couple of tablespoons out to remove the thinner part of the peanut butter. What we need is the thicker part of the peanut butter at the bottom of the jar. It’s less oily, will yield a better result will give you longer shelf life.

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