Table of Contents
Suya lovers, I’ve gotten something amazing for you; I’m sure you would love to know how the spicy and delicious powdered sauce added to your Suya is made; you will agree that it boosts the savoring meat flavor.
What is Suya Spice?
Suya spice, also known as “Yaji,” is a flavorful blend of ground peanuts (groundnut), aromatic spices, and many more. It originates from West Africa, particularly Nigeria. Suya spice, also called Suya powder, is a topping to complement the already-made suya meat, a popular street food and barbecue dish in Nigeria, Ghana, and Sierra Leone.
Suya spice holds a deep cultural significance in West African cuisine, especially among the Hausa people. Suya is more than just meat; it’s a sweet and tantalizing grilled meat that satisfies your tastebuds.
It can be used as a rub or marinade for meats like chicken, beef, and lamb, infusing them with its distinctive flavor profile.
The Nigerian Suya spice, known as Yaji in Hausa or Suya powder, is the best-kept recipe secret only known by the top Mallams of Hausaland but is a staple street food in West African countries- Nigeria, Ghana, and sierra leone. Best as an appetizer or snack.
What Does Suya Powder Taste Like?
Suya powder has a distinctive flavor characterized by its spiciness, nuttiness, and smokiness. Ground peanuts provide a nutty, slightly sweet element, while the smokiness comes from roasting the peanuts before grinding. The combination of ginger, garlic, and onion powder. These elements create a well-balanced and flavorful spice.
Suya spice can also enhance the taste of roasted vegetables, seafood, and even snacks li roasted nuts.
How to Make Suya Spice
To make Suya spice, prepare peanuts/groundnut through roasting for a smoky essence and skin removal, grinding the groundnut into a fine powder. Adjust proportions for the spice mixture, paprika, ginger, garlic, and onion powder to control spiciness.
How to Use Suya Spice
It can be used as a rub or marinade for meats like chicken, beef, and lamb, adding its distinctive flavor profile.
Marinating Proteins: Suya spice can be used to marinate a variety of proteins, such as chicken, beef, lamb, and fish. The blend’s flavorful profile infuses meats with its distinctive combination of spiciness, nuttiness, and smokiness.
Grilling or Barbecue: Can be sprinkled on proteins after grilling or barbecuing the proteins to perfection. A good example is Suya.
Some people add the spice to enhance the taste of roasted vegetables, seafood, and snacks like roasted nuts.
How to Preserve Your Homemade Suya Spice
Storage Containers: To maintain the freshness of your spice, use airtight jars or containers. These containers prevent moisture and air from compromising the flavor and quality of the spice blend.
Dark and Cool Storage: Store your spice in a cool, dark place. Exposure to sunlight and heat can degrade the potency of the spices and alter the flavor over time. Optimal storage conditions ensure the longevity of the spice blend.
Homemade Suya Spice
Ingredients
- ½ cup peanuts
- 2 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup ginger powder
- ¼ cup smoked paprika powder
- 2 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon seasoning powder (2 to 3 cubes)
- salt to taste
Instructions
- In a dry pan over medium heat, add the peanuts.Toast the peanuts in the pan, stirring frequently to prevent burning.½ cup peanuts
- Roast for about 5-7 minutes until they are slightly browned and aromatic.
- Remove the pan from heat and allow the peanuts to cool down.
- Once the peanuts have cooled, rub them between your hands to remove the skins. Discard the skins and keep the edible peanut nut.
- Grind the roasted and skin-removed peanuts into a fine powder using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. Set aside.
- In a bowl, combine the cayenne pepper, ginger powder, smoked paprika powder, onion powder, and garlic powder.2 tablespoon cayenne pepper, ¼ cup ginger powder, ¼ cup smoked paprika powder, 2 tablespoon onion powder, 2 tablespoon garlic powder
- Add the seasoning powder (crumbled cubes) to the mixture. Adjust the number of cubes based on your desired saltiness level.1 tablespoon seasoning powder (2 to 3 cubes)
- Add the ground roasted peanuts into the spice mixture, ensuring even distribution.
- Add salt to taste but be cautious because you added seasoning powder already.salt to taste
- Your suya spice blend is now ready to enhance various dishes.
