Suya Spice / Yaji
The Quirky Foodster Team
Ingredients
- Roasted — 1/2 cup
- ground peanuts
- Ground ginger — 2 tbsp
- Paprika — 2 tbsp
- Cayenne — 1 tbsp
- Garlic powder — 1 tbsp
- Onion powder — 1 tbsp
- Ground cloves — 1 tsp
- Bouillon powder — 1 tsp
- Salt — to taste
Method
- Grind the roasted peanuts to a coarse powder (not a paste — the texture should remain sandy/crumbly), then combine thoroughly with the other ground spices.
- The peanuts must be well-roasted before grinding; the other spice components are typically used as pre-ground, without further toasting.
Origin: Nigeria and broader West Africa
Use: A dry rub coating for skewered, grilled meat, applied generously before and often again after grilling.
Classic Dishes: Suya (grilled, spice-crusted meat skewers, one of West Africa’s most iconic street foods).
Storage: Keeps 1-2 months sealed and dark, shorter-lived than pure spice blends given the ground peanut’s oil content, which can turn rancid.
Variations: Countless regional and vendor-specific formulations exist across Nigeria and neighboring countries; the ground peanut base is the one universally defining characteristic.
Substitutions: No close substitute given the essential ground-peanut component; peanut butter powder in a pinch, understanding the texture will differ from freshly ground roasted peanuts.
- Roasted — 1/2 cup
- ground peanuts
- Ground ginger — 2 tbsp
- Paprika — 2 tbsp
- Cayenne — 1 tbsp
- Garlic powder — 1 tbsp
- Onion powder — 1 tbsp
- Ground cloves — 1 tsp
- Bouillon powder — 1 tsp
- Salt — to taste
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