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West Africa · 35m · Easy

Suya (Nigerian street-grill spice skewers)

Peanut-chilli spice rub on grilled beef. The smell of the street at 7pm.

Yaji is the soul — the yaji-spice that defines Nigerian street food. You can buy it pre-made or grind your own. The grilling is fast; the patience is in the rub.

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Method

  1. 01
    5m

    Make the yaji

    Mix yaji with ground peanuts, salt, and 2 tbsp oil to form a thick paste.

  2. 02
    15m

    Coat the beef

    Toss the beef in the yaji paste. Thread onto skewers. Rest 15 min.

  3. 03
    6m

    Grill

    Grill over high heat, 2-3 min per side until edges char and the centre stays just pink.

  4. 04
    2m

    Serve

    Off the grill, dust with extra yaji and ground peanuts. Serve immediately with onion, tomato, and lime.

From the source

Why this dish tastes the way it does

Suya is the late-evening smell of Hausa street cooking across West Africa. The vendors are usually northern men who set up grills at corners; the yaji is fiercely guarded family recipe. The dish is the meeting of migrants and locals — eaten standing, on newspaper, with cold drinks.

Served at

Evenings, weekends, anywhere there's a grill

Pairs with

Cold malt or Star Lager, extra yaji on the side

Per serving

380 kcal

Calories

38 g

Protein

8 g

Carbs

22 g

Fat

2 g

Fiber