Ata Dindin

Ata dindin Recipe

Name: Ata dindin

Origin: Southwestern Nigeria

Ingredients:

• Tatashe
• rodo or Scotch bonnet pepper
• fresh tomatoes
• onions
• garlic
• palm oil
• vegetable oil
• seasoning cubes
• seasoning powder
• salt
• smoked fish
• locust beans
• crayfish
• assorted meat
• prawns

Steps:

1. Wash the tatashe, rodo, tomatoes, onions and garlic thoroughly, then roughly chop them into smaller pieces
2. Add the peppers, tomatoes, onions and garlic to a blender and pulse until you have a coarse mixture, being careful not to add too much water
3. Heat palm oil or a combination of palm oil and vegetable oil in a heavy pot over medium heat
4. Add the blended pepper mixture to the hot oil carefully and stir thoroughly to combine
5. Add seasoning cubes, seasoning powder and salt to taste, then allow the mixture to fry uncovered so that excess moisture can evaporate
6. Reduce the heat and continue frying the pepper mixture slowly, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot
7. Continue cooking until the sauce becomes noticeably thicker, darker and richer, with the oil beginning to separate from the pepper mixture
8. Add locust beans and ground crayfish if using them, then stir thoroughly and allow the sauce to continue frying so their flavours become incorporated
9. Add smoked fish, fried fish, cooked assorted meat or prawns depending on the version being prepared, then gently stir to coat everything with the pepper sauce
10. Allow the sauce to simmer for another few minutes, then taste and adjust the salt and seasoning
11. Remove from the heat and serve hot with rice, yam, plantain, beans, potatoes or your preferred Nigerian staple