Nutty, spicy beef skewers accompanied by fresh tomatoes and sliced red onions.
Suya is Nigerian street food at its finest—think nutty, spicy beef threaded onto skewers then grilled, the finished sticks cradled in paper or foil with a side of fresh tomatoes, sliced red onions, and a sprinkling of—a blend of chiles, ginger, garlic, onions, salt and other spices—and ground, which is essentially dehydrated and defatted groundnut paste. Suya originated in the north of Nigeria, where the knowledge and mastery of meat is second to none.
Kuli kuli is made by grinding roasted groundnuts until the mixture almost reaches a nut butter consistency. Often ground chiles and ginger are included in the mix. Water is added and then the mixture is kneaded to form a dough, and, in the process, the oil—groundnut oil—is expelled. The resulting dough is shaped into sticks, balls, crackers, and other shapes and deep fried in groundnut oil. The process stabilizes the kuli kuli, and it can be kept at room temperature without going rancid.
In form and ingredients, suya is similar to Balinese satay, and while there’s a debate about whether or not, I believe suya answers the question with a resounding yes. And while the best suya is wrapped in paper—formerly newspaper—or foil and served under the cloak of evening, if you’re far from a good suya spot, making a batch of yajin kuli and grilling suya are not out of reach.
Yajin kuli has a unique, smoky, and complex flavor. It’s increasingly common to find it in West African stores, both physical and online. I’ve lived abroad for many years and one night eleven years ago when I lived in the Netherlands, homesick with an empty jar of yajin kuli, I decided to try to create a yajin kuli marinade instead of a dry rub by using homemade groundnut butter . To my surprise, it was a success.
I’ve since altered the recipe by turning to peanut butter powder, combining it with powdered ginger, sweet paprika, onion and garlic powders, the musky floral notes of ground grains of selim and cloves, and a little bit of cayenne for some kick. It’s a nutty, spicy, tangy, and mildly sweet coating that’s as good with chicken, fish, or even some vegetables as it is with the more traditional thinly sliced beef.
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