Ofada Stew (Easy-to-follow Recipe)

Ofada stew is a locally made Yoruba (Ijebu) stew specifically crafted for Ofada rice. I must confess that the demand for this recipe in the last few months has been through the roof.

Numerous individuals have expressed a keen interest in learning how to make Ofada stew, also known as ayamase in Yoruba.

The image above showcases a delicious pot of Ofada stew (sauce), yummy right?

This recipe shows you exactly how to make ofada sauce (stew). I suppose you know how to boil rice. 😉

Because we serve ofada rice and sauce, as you can see at the bottom of this page.

What you Need For Ofada Stew

Ofada stew (sauce) is made with a combination of green peppers and red peppers, then assorted meat, hard-boiled eggs, and palm oil. Picture below showcases some of the popular ingredients used for making this sauce.

I used 3 different kinds of peppers. Green pepper should be – like 50 percent, tatashe or shombo should be about 40 percent. Then 2 cups of sliced onions.

Scotch bonnet peppers are used just for the heat.

Complete Ingredients For Making Ofada Sauce

Two tablespoons of ground crayfish
300g Green Peppers
3 scotch bonnet peppers
300g Tatashe or shombo peppers
2 cups of sliced onions
Assorted meat – 800g
2 cups of palm oil
2 seasoning cubes

6 hard-boiled eggs

salt to taste.

How To Make Ofada Stew

Step 1

Combine the peppers (shombo pepper, scotch bonnet, and green pepper). Blend to a smooth paste.

Don’t forget to remove the seeds in the green pepper and shombo before grinding. The seeds can completely alter the taste of your ofada sauce.

Step 2

Set a clean pot on heat; add the 2 cups of palm oil. Allow bleaching/ heating for just 2 minutes. Add the one and half cup of sliced onion, the more the merrier.

Stir and allow to fry for a minute.

Step 3

Add the ground pepper combination.

Allow it to fry for the next 10-15 minutes. Remember to stir occasionally to avoid burning.

How to Cook Ofada Sauce

Step 4

Once the pepper-onions is well fried, add the pre-cooked assorted meat and stock (meat water).

Step 5

Add two tablespoons of ground crayfish and salt to taste. Also, add the locust bean (iru). Add a stock cube, stir and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.

Step 6

Add the eggs, stir and let the stew simmer on medium heat for another 5 minutes.

That is just how to make ofada sauce or stew (Ayamase).

Yes, a delicious looking pot of ofada stew.
Serve with boiled rice.

How to Prepare Ofada Rice

Ofada rice is another name for Abakiliki (local rice), it is starchy and tastes way better than the foreign rice. Pick out stones and sands from the rice and cook the same way you already know to cook white rice. Some of them have tiny stones others are clean.

Ofada rice is also called abakiliki rice; some are beautiful and robust, while others are not. The best is the one you see in this post.

Serve ofada rice and stew as you can see below. Traditionally, we use the Uma leaves, but you can use just plates as below.

Why Ofada Stew?

For a long time, I wondered about the widespread love for Ofada rice and stew. Perhaps it’s the iru (locust beans) that makes the difference, or maybe it’s the fact that it is crafted with just peppers.

Moreover, you won’t find the sour taste that often accompanies regular tomato stew. So, this is the winner 😀.

One lady, in particular, sent me this message: ‘Please teach me how to make Ofada sauce before this restaurant finishes my money’ 😀. Funny, right?”

Everyone love ofada sauce and I am guessing you will join the long list the moment you give it a try.

How I Precooked The meat.

Rinse the meat thoroughly and season it with 1 stock cube, a teaspoon each of curry and thyme, and a mixture of crushed garlic and ginger (2 cloves of garlic and half a finger of ginger).

Stir the ingredients to combine, allowing them to marinate for a few minutes.

Subsequently, bring the meat to a boil, adding more water as needed, and allow it to cook until tender.

Tried Jollof Rice? Click Here

Ofada Stew Recipe - How to make Yoruba Popular Ofada Sauce

Chef Chidi

Ofada stew, a well-known Yoruba sauce crafted for white boiled rice, is a delightful blend of various fruits and vegetables. The outcome is a pot of delectable goodness that tantalizes the taste buds.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 45

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 30

Course Main Course

Cuisine Nigerian Cuisine

Servings 8 people

Calories 498 kcal

Equipment

1 Pressure cooker optional (for cooking meat)

Ingredients

Two tablespoons of ground crayfish
300 g Green Peppers
3 scotch bonnet peppers
300 g Tatashe or shombo peppers
2 cups of sliced onions
Assorted meat – 800g
2 cups of palm oil
2 seasoning cubes
6 hard-boiled eggs
salt to taste.

Instructions

Blend together the shombo pepper, scotch bonnet, and green pepper to form a smooth paste.
Place a clean pot on the heat and pour in 2 cups of palm oil. Let it bleach or heat for only 2 minutes. Add the rest of the sliced onions, the more, the merrier.
Stir and let it fry for a minute then add the ground pepper combination.
Allow it to fry for the next 10-15 minutes. Remember to stir occasionally to avoid burning.
After thoroughly frying the pepper-onions mixture, incorporate the pre-cooked assorted meat and its stock (meat water).
Introduce two tablespoons of ground crayfish and salt to your preferred taste. Include the locust bean (iru), stir well, and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Remember to stir occasionally to prevent sticking to the pot's bottom.
Integrate the eggs, stir again, and let the stew simmer over medium heat for an additional 5 minutes.