LounjeLounjePlan my week

Ata Dindin

Also known as Ata Dindin (Yoruba Fried Pepper Sauce — Vegetarian)

Ata Dindin — fried pepper sauce — is the most fundamental sauce in Yoruba cooking and one of the most important preparations in all of Nigerian cuisine. This version presents it as a fully vegetarian sauce where the pepper, tomato and onion base is enriched with crayfish (for non-strict vegetarians) or mushrooms (for vegans) instead of meat.

Ata Dindin, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • 6 big ripe tomatoes, blended
  • 4 big Tatashe (red bell peppers), blended
  • 4 Atarodo (hot chilli peppers), blended
  • 1 big onion — half blended with peppers, half sliced
  • 4 cooking spoons of vegetable oil or palm oil
  • 3 big handfuls of ground dried crayfish (use mushrooms for vegan version)
  • 2 big handfuls of fresh oyster mushrooms, sliced — optional
  • 3 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
  • Salt to taste

Method

  1. 01

    Blending the Peppers. Roughly chop all tomatoes, Tatashe, Atarodo and the half onion. Blend together until smooth. Do not add water — the tomatoes provide sufficient liquid.

  2. 02

    Deep Frying the Pepper Base. Heat 4 cooking spoons of oil in a wide, deep pot over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onion and fry for 2 minutes. Pour in all the blended pepper mixture. It will splatter — use a lid or splatter guard. Fry the pepper over medium-high heat, stirring every few minutes, for 25 to 35 minutes. This long frying time is non-negotiable for authentic Ata Dindin. The water must fully evaporate and the pepper must actually fry — not simmer — until it is dark, thick, oily and intensely concentrated. The oil will clearly separate and float on top when properly done.

  3. 03

    Adding Depth. Add the sliced mushrooms if using and fry for 5 minutes. Add ground crayfish, crushed seasoning cubes and salt. Fry for 3 more minutes. Taste — the sauce should be bold, spicy, deeply savoury and intensely flavoured.

  4. 04

    Serving. Serve hot as a dipping sauce, over yam, with eggs or as a condiment alongside any Nigerian starch.

More main dishes