Cookbook:Nigerian Suya Skewers

Suya is a dish of tender skewered beef cooked in a spicy peanut sauce.

Ingredients

Spice mix

• Kuli kuli (peanut cake), crushed
• Ground ginger powder
• Cayenne pepper flakes (seed-free)
• Negro pepper (uda), broken up
• Seasoning cubes, crushed
• salt

Skewers

• Beef
• Salt
• Onion
• Cucumber
• Vegetable or groundnut oil

Procedure

Spice mix

1. Combine the kuli kuli, ginger powder, cayenne, uda, seasoning cubes, and salt. Using a dry mill, grind the mixture in small batches until they become powder. This may be done with any coffee grinder.
2. Sift the suya spice through a sieve to remove any remaining fibers.

Skewers

1. If using wooden skewers, soak them for at least 5 hours in water. This prevents the sticks from burning or charring during the roasting process.
2. Thinly slice the beef into short pieces. Although freezing the meat makes cutting easier, Suya Mallams advises not to do so. Thread the beef chunks onto the skewers.
3. In a bowl, combine some vegetable oil with a small amount of salt. Use a brush to coat the skewered beef chunks in oil. This is what makes the suya spice attach to the meat, so make sure to coat all portions of the meat in oil.
4. Spread the suya spice on a level surface, and dab the skewered beef in it until the spice is evenly distributed. Place all of the seasoned beef on a flat platter, cover with a thin plastic wrap, and set aside for 1 hour to marinate. Refrigeration is not required.
5. Preheat the oven for 10 minutes before using. Grill/broil (top heating) at 150°C (300°F) is the recommended temperature. Suya should be slowly roasted. A BBQ grill can also be used. Place the meat, flat on the oven rack, in the oven to roast..
6. Flip the steak after 15 to 20 minutes to cook the underside as well. The time it takes to cook each side is determined on the thickness of the fillets. So 30-40 minutes total roasting time on both sides of the steak. This may appear to be a significant amount of time, but it is not. When done, the Suya is still damp. Brush both sides of the steak with the remaining peanut oil. Increase the oven temperature a little and roast the steak for 5 minutes on each side.
7. Serve with onion, tomato, cabbage, and cucumber slices.

Notes, tips, and variations

• To prepare kuli kuli, grind roasted groundnuts, squeeze out the oil with a paper towel or napkin, form them into any shape you choose, and deep-fry them till brown and dry in very hot vegetable oil. Never use roasted groundnuts for your Nigerian Suya spice without first processing them into kuli kuli, as peanuts contain too much oil and will grind into a paste rather than powder.
• When making the spice mix, use equal volumes of kuli kuli and ginger powder.
• Suya spice relies heavily on Negro Pepper. Suya spice will not be the same without it.