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Yaji — The Complete Suya Spice Blend

Yaji is the foundation spice blend of Hausa cuisine and the defining ingredient of Nigerian Suya — one of the most complex, aromatic and deeply satisfying spice mixtures in all of West African cooking. A properly made Yaji is the product of careful spice selection, precise dry-roasting and meticulous blending of roasted groundnuts, ginger, Cameroon pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, selim pepper, cloves and seasoning.

Yaji — The Complete Suya Spice Blend, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • 2 big cups of raw groundnuts (peanuts)
  • 2 big big tablespoons of ground ginger
  • 2 big big tablespoons of ground Cameroon pepper
  • 1 big tablespoon of paprika — for colour and a mild sweet heat
  • 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon of onion powder
  • Half a teaspoon of ground selim pepper (uda) — the Hausa aromatic signature
  • Half a teaspoon of ground cloves
  • Half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon — optional, for a slightly sweeter Yaji
  • 2 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed to fine powder
  • 1 teaspoon of salt

Method

  1. 01

    Dry-Roasting the Groundnuts. Place the raw groundnuts in a wide, dry pan over medium heat. Stir constantly for 8 to 10 minutes until the skins are blistering, the groundnuts are golden-brown and smell deeply nutty. Remove from heat immediately. Allow to cool completely. Rub the groundnuts between your palms to remove the skins. Blow away the loose skins. The groundnuts should be completely cool before grinding.

  2. 02

    Grinding the Groundnuts. Place the cooled roasted groundnuts in a blender or spice grinder. Grind until very fine — almost a dry powder but not yet a paste. The groundnut must remain dry and powdery, not oily. If it begins to become oily, stop grinding immediately.

  3. 03

    Combining All Spices. Combine the ground roasted groundnut powder with all the remaining spices: ginger, Cameroon pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, selim pepper, cloves, cinnamon, crushed seasoning cube powder and salt. Mix very thoroughly with a spoon until all spices are evenly distributed and the blend is a uniform, slightly reddish-brown colour.

  4. 04

    Taste-Testing. Take a tiny pinch of the Yaji. Taste it. The blend should be spicy, nutty, aromatic and complex — with the ginger and Cameroon pepper providing the heat, the groundnut providing the base, the selim and cloves providing the aromatic signature and the paprika providing colour and mild sweetness. Adjust any element you feel is missing.

  5. 05

    Storing. Transfer to a clean, dry glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Store in a cool, dry place.

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