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A little everyday discovery

Recipes

A pot to share, a quick side, a little something golden. Find a dish, get to know the ingredients, and follow the cues as you cook.

About time and difficulty

Times are planning ranges for the steps shown. Extra chilling or cooling is listed separately. Easy recipes use straightforward steps; moderate recipes need shaping, batch cooking or careful heat control; involved recipes combine several careful stages. Follow the doneness cues in each recipe.

Creamy black-eyed pea and sweet corn pottage with a red palm-oil sheen

Adalu

Creamy beans & sweet corn in one pot.

Est. time: 100–140 min
Difficulty: Easy

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Golden irregular bean fritters, one opened to show its pale center with pepper and onion flecks

Akara

Golden bean fritters with a light interior.

Est. time: 60–90 min
Difficulty: Moderate

Plus the 6–8-hour refrigerated bean soak.

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Orange yam porridge with partly mashed yam and soft chunks, without optional fish or spinach

Asaro

Yoruba yam porridge with a soft, generous texture.

Est. time: 45–60 min
Difficulty: Easy

Includes peeling and cutting the yam.

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Thin peanut-spiced beef on metal skewers, with optional red onion and tomato

Beef suya

Peanut-spiced beef, adapted for your broiler.

Est. time: 30–45 min
Difficulty: Moderate

Plus 30 minutes marinating.

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Skinless bone-in cooked chicken with visible meat fibers in light golden-brown broth and scattered herb flecks

Chicken pepper soup

A fragrant broth, with a guide to choosing the spices.

Est. time: 50–70 min
Difficulty: Easy

Start with fully thawed chicken.

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Small plain golden-brown chin-chin dough bites, with a broken piece showing a dense pale crumb

Chin chin

Small, golden bites with a crisp finish.

Est. time: 60–90 min
Difficulty: Moderate

Includes the 15-minute dough rest; cool fully.

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Coconut rice with red pepper, peas and cooked shrimp

Coconut rice

Savory coconut grains with shrimp & peppers.

Est. time: 40–55 min
Difficulty: Moderate

Includes a 10-minute rest.

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Golden fried ripe plantain slices with dark caramelized patches

Dodo

Ripe plantain, fried golden and caramelized.

Est. time: 25–40 min
Difficulty: Moderate

Includes oil heating and small frying batches.

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Dark green spinach stew with red pepper sauce, beef pieces and iru

Efo riro

A spinach adaptation of the Yoruba vegetable stew.

Est. time: 2–3 hr
Difficulty: Moderate

Includes simmering the beef until tender.

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Golden egg curds in a chunky tomato and onion sauce

Egg stew

Tender egg curds in a bright tomato sauce.

Est. time: 25–35 min
Difficulty: Easy

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Golden egusi soup with small seed curds, cooked beef pieces and spinach

Egusi soup

Melon-seed richness. A little texture know-how.

Est. time: 2¼–3¼ hr
Difficulty: Moderate

Includes beef simmering and the egusi stages.

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Soft mashed black-eyed peas topped with a dark red onion and pepper sauce

Ewa agoyin

Soft beans, deeply flavored pepper sauce.

Est. time: 2–3 hr
Difficulty: Moderate

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Black-eyed peas in a thick palm-oil, onion and pepper sauce

Ewa riro

Soft beans in a rich pepper and palm-oil sauce.

Est. time: 1½–2 hr
Difficulty: Easy

Unsoaked beans may need longer to soften.

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Orange-red long-grain jollof rice in an ivory bowl, without garnish

Jollof rice

Tomato-rich rice, with a better feel for steam.

Est. time: 75–105 min
Difficulty: Moderate

Includes sauce reduction and a 10-minute rest.

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Pumpkin and groundnut stew with beef pieces and chopped spinach

Miyan taushe

Pumpkin, groundnuts & a handful of greens.

Est. time: 125–180 min
Difficulty: Moderate

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Orange-tan steamed bean pudding in ivory ramekins, with a spoonful showing its soft interior

Moi moi

Steamed bean pudding, made in ramekins.

Est. time: 1¾–2½ hr
Difficulty: Moderate

Plus 2 hours soaking; extra steaming batches add time.

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Golden fried buns with one split open to show the tender crumb

Nigerian buns

Crisp little buns with a tender center.

Est. time: 40–60 min
Difficulty: Moderate

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Golden rice with carrots, peas, corn, green beans and small dark beef-liver cubes

Nigerian fried rice

Seasoned grains, colorful vegetables, small-batch frying.

Est. time: 35–50 min
Difficulty: Moderate

Rice must already be cooked and safely chilled.

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Golden half-moon meat pies, one opened to show beef, potato and carrot

Nigerian meat pie

Golden pastry with a hearty beef filling.

Est. time: 110–150 min
Difficulty: More involved

Includes chilling and a short rest.

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Thin golden pancakes folded on a plate with small flecks of chili

Nigerian pancakes

Thin, golden & gently spiced.

Est. time: 35–50 min
Difficulty: Moderate

Includes a 10-minute batter rest.

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Glossy orange-brown ogbono soup with beef chunks and a little spinach

Ogbono soup

Learn the texture of this distinctive draw soup.

Est. time: 2–3 hr
Difficulty: Moderate

Includes simmering the beef until tender.

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Finely chopped green okra with seeded rounds, cooked shrimp and spinach in a glossy palm-oil-tinted soup

Okra soup

A little chopping know-how for a generous draw soup.

Est. time: 30–45 min
Difficulty: Easy

Start with thawed, peeled shrimp.

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Browned chicken gizzards coated in a red pepper and onion sauce

Peppered gizzards

Tender simmered bites with a peppery finish.

Est. time: 90–125 min
Difficulty: Moderate

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Golden fried yeast-dough balls, one split to show a pale airy center

Puff-puff

A simple yeast batter, a golden little treat.

Est. time: 40–60 min
Difficulty: Moderate

Plus 1–2 hours for the batter to rise.

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A thick red tomato stew base with onion flecks and a slight oil sheen

Tomato stew

The deeply cooked base that goes a long way.

Est. time: 60–90 min
Difficulty: Moderate

Fresh tomatoes vary in reduction time.

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