Ayamase
Ayamase, also known as 'designer stew', comes from the Yoruba community of southwestern Nigeria, where it became synonymous with wedding hospitality because of the high cost of its ingredients — the large quantity of palm oil, the variety of beef cuts, and offal make this dish one of the most expensive in everyday Nigerian cuisine. The name 'designer' emerged relatively recently, reflecting the perception of the stew as a culinary luxury comparable to designer clothing. The technique of boiling the palm oil until it loses its color is considered a distinctive mark of the authentic recipe — many home cooks shorten this step, and while the result is still tasty, it's not considered 'true' Ayamase by connoisseurs. At Yoruba weddings, the presence of Ayamase on the menu is seen as a clear sign of the host family's generosity and social status.
Green chilies at the base
Unripe green scotch bonnet chilies give the stew its intense olive-green color and a more direct heat than red versions.
Mixed offal and beef
Pieces of beef, tripe, and shaki (beef stomach) boiled separately go into the green sauce, offering varied texture.
Bleached palm oil
Red palm oil is boiled for a long time until it loses its intense color, a technique specific to this recipe that avoids the typical orange hue.
Celebrated wedding dish
It's famous as the dish served at Yoruba weddings, considered a costly delicacy reserved for special occasions.
Ingredients 4 servings
- 500 g beef, cut into pieces
- 200 g beef tripe
- 200 g shaki (beef stomach)
- 8 green scotch bonnet chilies
- 3 sweet green peppers
- 250 ml red palm oil
- 2 onions, chopped
- 2 bouillon cubes
- Salt to taste
How to make it
- 1The beef pieces boil in a pot with water, onion, and a bouillon cube for forty minutes, until tender.
- 2The tripe and shaki boil separately, in another pot with plenty of water, for an hour, until they lose their distinctive smell and become soft.
- 3The green chilies and sweet peppers are coarsely ground together, producing a thick, slightly grainy green paste.
- 4The red palm oil boils alone, with no other ingredients, for fifteen minutes, until its intense color fades considerably.
- 5The green pepper paste is added to the bleached oil and fries over medium heat, stirring continuously, until the sauce thickens and the oil begins to separate on the surface.
- 6The boiled beef, tripe, and drained shaki are added to the green sauce, mixing well to coat evenly.
- 7The second bouillon cube and salt are sprinkled over, and the stew simmers another fifteen minutes on low heat, until all the flavors meld together.
- 8Ayamase is served hot, traditionally alongside plain boiled rice or bean cakes called moin moin.
Nutritional info
per serving (~400 ml)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
