Reader Spotlight: Ayodeji O. makes Ayamashe
Ayodeji, a somewhat newer reader, has taken to trying out a few of the recipes on the site. I am in awe of the submissions, I really am and I love that he keeps them coming! First, he made Ayamashe (it seems to be a popular dish for reader spotlight!) and if you’ve read through the site, you know that I’m all for customizing recipes to fit your tastes.
Reader Spotlight is a series of posts geared towards dishes you‘ve made following recipes from AvartsyCooking. I appreciate all of you and in an effort to give you some shine, not just in the comments where you share how you made such and such, you get to also share with me and everyone else, the photo of your finished dish!
To participate, all you need do is send clear photos of your finished dish, name of the AvartsyCooking recipe you followed and a little back story behind your making the dish to submit@avartsycooking.com
Below is information surrounding his dish!
Name: Ayodeji O.
Recipe Made: Ayamashe/Designer Stew/Ofada Stew
Back story: ”Hi Yetunde,
I’m sure by now you know just how much I love you and your blog. I have suddenly rediscovered my passion for cooking and it feels bloody damn good. Thank you. Ok so this afternoon I made ayamase and I’m still buzzing from it. I have attached the picture to this email.
The ayamase wasn’t the normal deep green colour because I used about half a spoon of palm oil which I mixed with sunflower oil. Something I found interesting was the fact that the stew didn’t require any seasoning in itself (the peppers are just blended and fried) and the resulting taste is amazing.
At this point, its safe to say goodbye nigerian restaurant ayamase; hello homemade ayamase infused with LOADS of love.
Thanks again (you ARE a star)”
My Thoughts: It looks good to me! It’s got green chunky bits in it, showing that it you didn’t over-blend it, which is good, as that’s how it should be. The yellow bits showing through in the second photo, is that garlic? I love garlic, so that’s a plus and I also see bits of onions in there, which is part of how you customized it. Nice! Did you use brown rice?
I also think the deep, green color came through, it just wasn’t swimming or floating in oil. I would say it doesn’t need a lot of seasoning, but perhaps a bit of salt, but again, taste buds differ, so if no seasoning is how you like it, then go for it! I totally agree, once you’re able to make Ayamashe at home, it’s kinda hard (at least for me) to get it from a Nigerian restaurant now, lol.
(The chicken wings in the first photo look oh so juicy, what did you use to season? and oddly enough, the chicken leg in the second photo looks a bit dry, I should shake your shoulders for that!) I won’t get on you for presentation, as mine is still a work in progress, lol. The first photo make me think of a cascading volcano for some reason, but when you think about it, the analogy is kinda there. (I totally over thought that one, but hey…)
Aww, flattery is everything! Thank you! :D
Reader Spotlight: Ayodeji O. makes Ayamashe,
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18 Responses to "Reader Spotlight: Ayodeji O. makes Ayamashe"
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Hi Yetunde,
Indeed I used brown rice and use it as the base for all my rice dishes now which is somewhat tricky when I make jollof rice as cooking times differ with white rice but I’m getting the hang of it with each attempt, haha. To reduce any propensity of overblending it, I added the cut peppers, onion and garlic into the blender in not one or two but three batches. The yellow bits are garlic, never really cooked with them much before this but they are gorgeous. I LOVE onions, so I just chop ‘em up and throw them about literally when I’m cooking even though I might blended it (if cooking with a mixture).
The ayamase I usually buy from the restaurant (which is now in the past anyway, *wink*) are always floating in so much oil that I’d have to decant it all before eating otherwise I’d be left with the slimy gut. I added a bit of salt and in the panic of no seasoning added mixed in a bit of the maggi I used in sealing the meat which wasn’t really necessary in hindsight, the bit of salt would have been more than satisfactory.
I marinaded the chicken wings with knorr chicken, mixed herbs, cayenne pepper, a tiny bit of one random chilli and garlic sauce I got at the grocery store and decided to try out and a hint of curry. I’m a nightmare when it comes to grilling things once I step away from the kitchen, I totally forgot about the chicken I was grilling which must have dried it out.
haha at the cascading volcano, that got me laughing for a good while (I get the analogy though – next time I make it, I’ll have more of the ayamase running down the side).
Thank you Yetunde, have a nice day.
Hey AO! (that just reminded me of some Sisqo/Dru Hill song, lol)
That’s interesting that you now use primarily brown rice. I could never really get with it, and I imagine it would be tricky using brown rice to make jollof rice. Good luck though and share your results when you get the hang of it!
Garlic is amazing, but ginger is even better and the combo *sings hallelujah* I’ve bought Ayamashe from just two different Nigerian restaurants and one was swimming in oil, the other was actually alright on the oil bit. A tiny bit of salt should suffice. In hindsight, maggi and salt are really one and the same thing in so many ways, so yeah, easy on those two, usually one or the other I’ve come to find works.
Those chicken wings though, ooh wee! Just juicy! Forgetting when grilling reminds me of a friend, his fire department knows him by name, lol. His detector stays going off whenever he cooks, a mess!
Hope your day was just as nice, if not better!
I’m beginning to try out different fresh ingredients and incorporate them in my cooking (as I realised I only use onions really) but I’ve got to agree with you in saying GINGER is amazing – it’s got an edge to it…I have only previously used a bit of it to give certain juices I’ve made in the past a different taste (I went through a phase when I was obsessed with juicing every fruit and vegetable that would pass through the juice extractor).
These days, I just camp in the kitchen whenever I cook till the cooker is switched off or set multiple alarms on my phone reminding me to go back and check. It’s a joke.
Fresh ingredients are really the best way to go for me and I try to encourage others to do primarily fresh as well. Lol, you should have a little stereo/tv in there to keep you company while you wait for your food to cook!
Why is it that anytime I see Ayamashe, there’s usually a boiled egg on the side? Any thoughts? History? Story behind the mandatory additional protein? LOL! Seriously, I would like to know.
Palmoil and sunflower oil? I didn’t think of mixing oils o, but I might try this out. I’m curious about the type of rice though. Some type of long-grained rice?
I agree with Yetunde; the chicken thigh (leg?) looks dry, BUT the wings look juicy. It reminded me of jerk chicken for some reason.
RB!
Lol, I know right! Hey, there is joy in eating rice and stew with a boiled egg. I have no clue as to its origins, but it works and tastes good! Do you not eat boiled eggs or you just haven’t tried it with rice and stew? Missing out chica!
RB, as long as you have been reading, you’ve never come across a recipe with palm oil and canola oil, which is my oil mix? *side eye* -_- He responded to the rice comment. Those wings are fire!
Side note: Nobody has called me ‘Chica’ in a while, so that alone put a smile on my face.
*still smiling*
I must have glossed over your special oil mix o! Or maybe I read it and just didn’t remember. Noted though :-) Of course, I have eaten rice with boiled egg now! Many times sef, but I noticed that with Ayamashe, that boiled egg is almost always present.
Yup! The rice bit has been cleared up. I know brown rice is healthier. I just have never bothered to use it with Naija dishes.
Aww, RB! *bbm hug*
You must have o! I’m the same on brown rice, ki re?! What is this? lol
The boiled egg helps your tongue cool down from the pepper. If u boil it with the stew and put holes in it, it will help absorb some of the oil (so they say). But I like boiled egg with ayamase becuz water doesn’t do any justice for my burning tongue.
Hey YemiO!
I’ve never thought of boiling eggs with stew, usually just white rice. I don’t know about using the egg absorbing the oil, never tried it, but if you want it to absorb the oil, why not just use less oil to begin with?
Boiled egg with Ayamashe though? Yess, I’m all for that, just boiling the egg separately…
The relentless builder (impressive name), I just used brown basmati rice…Loving the comments about the chicken wings ;) but the chicken leg is a bit of a bummer. Oh well. I’m not sure of any history with ayamase and boiled eggs (even if there is, mine is just coincidence) but I love boiled eggs with and eat them with EVERYTHING in moderation of course whenever I do decide to have eggs (as I don’t like/eat fried eggs).
Abegi, don’t let her fool you o jare! She is one hilarious mess! I love boiled eggs with rice too, for some reason, it does go especially well with Ayamashe. I’m trying to stop eating eggs altogether, a challenge, but I’m working on it, lol
Will finally try ayamshe sauce this weekend. I have never had it. I make normal ofada sauce but the peculiar green sauce – i havent ever had.
Will let you know results. Also – just posted my jerk marinade recipe that will make killer wings oooh :-)
Ofada sauce and Ayamashe are essentially the same thing, just different names! Your ingredient list makes that marinade sound heavenly!
Keep us posted on your Ayamashe results! We’d all love to see photos :)
Just what I need to see while I am trying to lose weight! *sideeye*
A man who cooks and is meticulous about what goes into his mouth?!!!!! Dear Sir, are you married?! (asking for educational purposes only….*adjusts halo*)
LOL! I think he might be taken, a man that cooks and is picky like himself probably won’t stay on the market long. If you have a girl, tell her to watch out there now! ;)
Ginger and garlic are a killer combo, I couldn’t agree more. I marinate fish in a blended combo of both (I love this so much that I always have a frozen baggie of garlic blended with ginger in the freezer. I have a designated ice cube tray for this, and make little frozen cubes of gingery garlicky-goodness, throw them in a baggie and they’re ready to use whenever.
A super easy fish recipe – thoroughly rub a whole fish (smallish size) with the mixture, a bit of salt and maggi/knorr to taste and spray on both sides with cooking spray (or oil, if you must :)). Make a foil packet with regular tin foil by folding over a 3 foot length of tin foil and then folding over two of the sides. Slot the fish into the last opening, fold it over until it is totally sealed and then place in a preheated oven (I go with 275 deg) for about 20 mins or until the fish flakes when you test it.
My sister also juliennes green, red and yellow pepper + onions and includes them in the packet before baking. So good with just plain rice… the flavors of the ginger and garlic are simple but amazing.
Hey Sunflowery!
I agree! Now that I think about it, there’s actually a restaurant I’ve passed by a few times, called Ginger and Garlic, lol. I love that idea of blending ginger and garlic and storing it in ice cubes, I just might try that. I totally love that.
Omg! I KNOW that fish will be everything and then some, ooh wee, sounds amazing!