West African

Ewa Agoyin

Name: Ewa Agoyin
Total time: 300 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: West African
Ingredients: For Beans: 3 cups Honey beans (Ewa Oloyin) or black-eyed peas; salt. For Sauce: 2 cups dried red bell peppers (Tatashe); 1 cup dried chili peppers (Shombo); 1 cup palm oil; 2 large onions; 2 tbsp crayfish

Soft, mashable beans slowly cooked until creamy, then drenched in a fiery, deeply caramelized pepper and onion sauce — a beloved Lagos street food.

300 minutes

Serves 4

Main

Contains common allergens

Seafood Shellfish

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Instructions

5 steps

1
Prep the Peppers: Soak the dried peppers in hot water for a few hours until rehydrated. Blend coarsely with one onion using very little water. Set aside to drain excess liquid.

2
Boil the Beans: Wash the beans and boil them in a large pot with plenty of water. Cook on low heat until they are extremely soft and mushy (about 2 hours). Mash slightly with a spoon. Add salt only when fully cooked.
3
Bleach the Palm Oil: In a separate deep pot, heat the palm oil on medium-high for 10-15 minutes until it changes from deep red to a clear, dark honey color (do this in a well-ventilated area). Allow it to cool slightly.
4
Fry the Onions: Add the second chopped onion into the bleached oil. Fry until it is completely dark brown and caramelized (almost burnt), giving the sauce its distinct flavor.
5
Fry the Sauce: Pour in the coarsely blended pepper mix. Fry on low heat for 30-45 minutes, stirring often. The sauce is ready when it turns extremely dark (almost black), gritty, and the oil floats on top. Add crayfish and salt, then serve over the mashed beans.

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