Pate Hausa Food
Nigeria
Senior Editor
Abuja, Nigeria ·
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Abuja, Nigeria ·
Pate is a Northern Nigerian grain porridge, built on cracked corn or rice and loaded with vegetables, meat and groundnut until it stops being a porridge and becomes a full meal in one pot. It is particularly associated with Nasarawa and Kaduna states in the middle belt and north. What separates it from the many other grain dishes of the north is the vegetables. Kenaf leaf, known as rama, and sorrel leaf, known as yakuwa, go in alongside tomato, pepper and locust bean, and the greens are added late so they keep their colour and structure. Groundnut, as powder or paste, gives it body and a nutty depth that ties the whole pot together. It is household food in the most direct sense: a single pot, cheap ingredients, and enough of it to feed a family without anything else on the table. Pate is passed down rather than taught formally, and the composition shifts with what a household has and what the market held. Brisket bones and assorted meat go in for the stock as much as for the meat itself, which is why the pot ends up with more depth than its ingredient list suggests.
Pate is documented as a dish of Northern and middle belt Nigeria, particularly Nasarawa and Kaduna states, built on cracked corn or rice with kenaf and sorrel leaves. Its earliest documented date is uncertain.
Dietary tags are provided by contributors as a guide, not verified by AFN, and they depend on the products you buy. If you have a serious allergy, check every ingredient yourself.
Blend the tomatoes, fresh peppers and dry pepper if using into a smooth puree.
Wash and chop the leaves into bite sized pieces.
In a large pot, add the brisket bones, minced meat, assorted meat, locust bean, tomato and pepper puree, groundnut powder or paste, and seasoning. Pour in the water and bring to a boil over high heat.
Add the grain and cook until it is soft and the pot has thickened.
Add the chopped leaves and simmer for a further 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked but still hold their colour and texture.
Take the pot off the heat and let it rest for a few minutes before serving.
Serve hot, garnished with additional fresh vegetables if you like.
Personal notes from Deborah OlayiwolaBe the first to rate this recipe
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