Small Dish of Ata DinDin Chili Sauce
(click to enlarge)

Ata DinDin Chili Sauce #1


Nigeria   -   Ata DinDin
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead: 		1 cup
**
25 min
Yes		 Ata DinDin is Yoruba, meaning "Fried Pepper". Recipes vary in the extreme (see Note-5). My formula is easily adjusted for heat (see Note-1). For a very different version see our recipe Ata DinDin Chili Sauce #2.

1
6
8
5
2
2
1/2
#

oz
T
t

t
Tomatoes
Habaneros (1)
Onion
Red Palm Oil (2)  
Crayfish, ground (3)
Maggi Cube (4)
Salt
Prep   -   (20 min)
  1. Chop TOMATOES medium.
  2. Cap and seed HABANEROS as needed (see Note-1) and chop small. Add to Tomatoes
  3. Run Tomato mix in a processor until chopped quite small but still with plenty of texture.
  4. Chop ONION small.
  5. In a sauce pan, heat Red Palm Oil (only to about 300°F/150°C to avoid bleaching it). and fry Onions stirring for about 30 seconds.
  6. Stir in Crayfish and fry stirring another 30 seconds.
  7. Stir in Tomato mix and Maggi Cubes. Fry stirring over moderate heat for 10 minutes (no browning).
  8. Stir in Salt and take off the heat. In a sealed jar in the fridge it should keep a week, longer if you have it covered with a layer of oil.
NOTES:

  1. Habanero / Scotch Bonnet Chili:

      This is the only "West African" chili we can easily get in North America. I regulate the heat by capping and seeding the chilis. If expecting guests I will include one with the seeds in (or none if I know they are from the Frozen North). Just for me, I will leave the seeds in two of them For details see our African Chilis page.

  2. Red Palm Oil:

      This palm oil is much used in West Africa and Bahia Brazil and is needed to accurately replicate dishes from those regions. For details and substitute, see our Palm Oil / Dendê Oil page.

  3. African Crayfish

      These are actually smoked tiny shrimp (unsmoked are called "Dried Shrimp"). This is a very important flavoring ingredient in West Africa, but you can substitute Smoke Dried Fish. For a vegetarian version, leave it out, and perhaps use a smoked Chipotle for one of the Chilis. For details see our African Dried Crayfish page.

  4. Maggi Cubes:

      This is a stock cube almost universally used in West Africa, but hard to get in North America. For details and substitutes see our Maggi Cubes page.

  5. Variations:

      This recipe is my formulation, taking hints from a number of recipes by real Nigerians. Some recipes use a lot more Red Palm Oil. What hot chilis are used and how many ranges to extremes. Some recipes use ground Smoke Dried Fish instead of Crayfish, some use both, and some use neither. Some are based on Red Peppers rather than Tomatoes. Texture ranges from very smooth to coarse salsa.
  6. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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