Dambu Nama

Ingredients

• 3 big pieces of lean beef (shin, silverside or brisket) — wedding scale
• 2 big tablespoons of ground ginger
• 2 big tablespoons of ground Cameroon pepper
• 1 teaspoon of ground cloves
• 5 big tablespoons of Yaji spice mix
• 2 big tablespoons of dissolved dawadawa, strained
• 3 cooking spoons of groundnut oil
• 2 big onions — 1 for boiling, 1 finely grated for dry-fry
• 5 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
• Salt to taste

Method

1. 01

   Long Boiling of All Beef. Season and boil all 3 big pieces of beef in large pots with onion, seasoning cubes, ginger and salt for 1 hour until completely tender. Drain. Reserve stock for other wedding food uses.

2. 02

   Large-Scale Shredding. Allow cooked beef to cool for 15 minutes. Shred all the beef using multiple pairs of hands working simultaneously — at a wedding, this is communal work. Shred as finely as possible.

3. 03

   Wedding-Scale Seasoning. Combine shredded beef with Yaji, Cameroon pepper, cloves, remaining seasoning cubes, grated onion, dissolved dawadawa and salt. Mix very thoroughly with both hands.

4. 04

   Large-Scale Dry-Frying. This requires multiple large wide pans working simultaneously at a wedding. Heat groundnut oil and add the seasoned shredded beef in large quantities. Fry for 30 to 40 minutes per batch, stirring constantly. The wedding Dambu must be completely dry and golden. This is physically demanding work sustained over several hours.

5. 05

   Packaging for the Wedding. Allow to cool completely. Store in large containers for distribution at the wedding feast the following day.

More festive & ceremonial dishes

• Jollof Party Rice120 min
• Pepper Soup60 min
• Ofe Onugbu120 min
• Tuwo Shinkafa120 min
• Kilishi Feast Platter45 min
• Nkwobi Festive Platter120 min