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Obe Ejire

Also known as Obe Ejire (Yoruba Twin Peppers Soup)

Obe Ejire — 'twin soup' in Yoruba — is a richly layered Yoruba stew that combines the characteristics of both a dry-style fried stew and a wet soup in one pot. The name refers to the dual nature of the dish, which begins as a deeply fried pepper stew and is then finished with a small addition of stock to give it both depth and body.

Obe Ejire, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • Half a medium chicken, cut into pieces
  • 2 big handfuls of beef or assorted meat
  • 5 big ripe tomatoes
  • 3 Tatashe (red bell peppers)
  • 4 Atarodo (hot chilli peppers)
  • 1 big onion — half blended, half sliced
  • 3 cooking spoons of palm oil
  • 1 big handful of stockfish, soaked
  • 2 big handfuls of ground crayfish
  • 3 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 teaspoon of curry powder
  • 1 handful of iru (locust beans) — optional

Method

  1. 01

    Cooking the Meat. Season and cook meat and chicken with salt, 1 seasoning cube, sliced onion, curry and thyme for 25 to 30 minutes. Reserve stock.

  2. 02

    Frying the Pepper. Heat palm oil in a wide pot. Add iru if using, fry for 1 minute. Add blended tomatoes, Tatashe, Atarodo and onion. Fry for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring regularly, until deeply reduced and oil floats clearly on top.

  3. 03

    Combining. Add the cooked meat, stockfish, ground crayfish, remaining seasoning cubes, curry and salt. Stir and fry everything together for 5 more minutes.

  4. 04

    Adding Stock. Add a small amount of the reserved meat stock — just enough to loosen the stew slightly into a thick, coating consistency. Simmer for 10 minutes. The soup should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust all seasonings.

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