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Easy homemade suya spice recipe (Yaji)! This Suya seasoning also popularly known as Yaji or Suya pepper is fresh, aromatic, tasty and you will be tempted to sprinkle on most foods you make. It’s so good and what more? It is cheap and quick to make. Let me show you how to make Yaji.
Nigerian Suya spice is one of my favorite spice blend for grilled meat. It is nutty, flavorful and has the ability to make any grilled meat or vegetable taste great.
I will be sharing my Nigerian Suya recipe with you soon and as this is a major ingredient for that recipe, it’s only wise to give you this spice mix first.
Let it be known that this is probably the best suya spice recipe you will come across on the internet and I say this boldly because I used to make and sell it commercially on my other website K’s Cuisine and It was a bestseller. I have hundreds of reviews of how it’s authentic, fresh and the best they’ve had.
What is Suya Spice (Yaji)
Suya spice is a Nigerian spice blend that is used to make a popular Nigerian street food called Suya. This spice mix is also known as Yaji and it originated from the Northern part of Nigeria. Not only is it popular in all parts of Nigeria, but it is also popular in some other West African Countries.
Authentic suya seasoning is made with Kulikuli (a roasted peanut snack), cayenne pepper and some other spices. It’s nutty, aromatic and perfect on beef, chicken, fish, lamb and some vegetables.
It is not suitable for people with nut allergies as one of the major ingredient is peanuts/groundnut.
Suya Spice Recipe (Yaji)
This suya pepper makes use of fewer than 10 ingredients, it’s cheap and easy to make. You don’t need any heavy equipment or tools to make it and it takes just about 5 minutes to put together.
Making your own Yaji spice blend at home ensure you get consistent taste all the time. It’s cheaper to make yours than buy and this recipe tastes better than store-bought.
Ingredients
Kulikuli – Use unsalted roasted peanuts where kuli kuli is not available.
Ginger powder
Smoked Paprika
Cayenne pepper
Onion powder
Garlic granules/powder
Stock Cube
Sea Salt
Uda seeds also known as Negro pepper
Cloves – Optional
How to make Suya Spice (Yaji)
Measure out the ingredients in clean dry bowls.
Add all the ingredients in a dry mill and blend till all blended together.
Pour in an airtight container or spice jar and it’s ready to use.
How to Use Suya Spice
It’s best used for Suya be it beef or chicken suya but this spice blend is versatile and is also used on
Grilled Fish
Lamb, Oxtail
Fried eggs
Sauces
Vegetables
How to Store
Pour in airtight container or spice jar, label with dates, and store in a cool dry place away from direct sunlight. It will last for up 1year but do consider the expiry dates of the ingredients used.
Tips
- Kuli kuli is best but you can use roasted peanuts where kulikuli is not available.
- Be careful when blending the roasted peanuts as if over-processed it will become oily and clumpy rather than powdery.
- Make the spice in small batches so it remains fresher for longer.
- Adjust cayenne pepper to how much heat you can tolerate.
- You can omit the stock cube and sea salt if on no/low sodium diet.
- Make sure mixing bowl, spoons and containers are properly dried before use.
- Avoid moist, wet tools in preparing this seasoning mix.
More Spices and Condiments Recipe on the blog
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Suya Spice Recipe (Yaji)
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoon Kulikuli (ground) or ground roasted peanuts
- 5 tablespoon Ginger powder
- 2.5 tablespoon Cayenne pepper or Chilli Adjust to your taste
- 2 tablespoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 tablespoon Onion powder
- 1/2 tablespoon Garlic powder
- 1 5g Stock cube
- 1/4 teaspoon Sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon Uda seed optional
- 1 whole Clove optional
Instructions
- Measure out the ingredients.
- Add all the ingredients in a dry mill and blend till it comes together.
- Pour in an airtight container or spice jar and it's ready to use.
Recipe Notes
- Kuli kuli is best but you can use roasted peanuts where kulikuli is not available.
- Be careful when blending the roasted peanuts as if over-processed it will become oily and clumpy rather than powdery.
- Make the spice in small batches so it remains fresher for longer.
- Adjust cayenne pepper to how much heat you can tolerate.
- You can omit the stock cube and sea salt if on no/low sodium diet.
- Make sure mixing bowl, spoons and containers are properly dried before use.
- Avoid moist, wet tools in preparing this seasoning mix.
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