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

Ata DinDin Chili Sauce #2


Nigeria   -   Ata DinDin
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead: 		1-1/3 cup
***
1-1/2 hr
Yes		 Ata DinDin is Yoruba, meaning "Fried Pepper". Recipes vary in the extreme (see Note-8). For a different example see our recipe Ata DinDin Chili Sauce #1.

1
8
6
1
1/3
1/3
1
2
1/2
#
oz


c
c
T

t
Red Pepper (1)
Onion Red
Red Chili (2)
Habanero (3)
Red Palm Oil (4)
Oil (5)
Smoke Dried Fish (6)  
Maggi® Cube (7)
Salt
Prep   -   (20 min)
  1. Chop Red Peppers fairly small. Chop ONION small. Mix.
  2. Chop Red Chilis fine if fresh, or run in the spice grinder if dried. Add to Red Peppers.
  3. Cap HABANERO and slice. Add to Red Peppers
  4. Run Red Pepper mix in a Processor or Mixie until chopped to your desired texture. I run it to a bit short of being smooth.
  5. In a heavy bottomed sauté pan or similar, heat Red Palm Oil and Plain Oil, but only to about 300°F/150°C to avoid bleaching the Palm Oil. Carefully Stir in Red Pepper mix and bring up to a boil. Stir in Smoke Dried Fish, Maggi Cubes, and Salt.
  6. Turn down to a very moderate simmer and simmer, stirring often, until the oil begins to separate. This should be about 50 minutes to an hour and 10 minutes. The Oil is starting to separate when, if you scrape a path with the flat of your spatula, you see oil at the leading edge of the sauce as it closes the path. Don't fry it too dry or the fresh flavor will be lost.
  7. Take off the heat. Move it all into a tightly coverable jar. Let it sit until cool. If not enough oil rises to cover the top of the sauce, add a bit more. With the oil covering it, it should keep in the fridge for several weeks.
NOTES:

  1. Red Pepper:

      In Nigeria it would be proper to use Tatashe peppers, but even there they are often confused with Red Bell Peppers, even in the markets. Our Red Anaheims would be closer to Tatashe, so use whichever you can get. For details see our African Chilis page.

  2. Red Chilis:

      This is where you control how hot your sauce will be, by what chilis and how many. In Nigeria, Ata Wewe (very tiny, very hot bird peppers) are often specified. These are currently unavailable outside Nigeria, so Nigerian expats specify Red Thai Chilis. Here in North America, de Arbols would also work well. Five Red Thai Chilis made this sauce fairly spicy by Southern California standards - but use your own best judgement. It is generally expected these chilis will be fresh, but grind up dry ones in your spice grinder and they will work fine. For details see our African Chilis page.

  3. Habanero / Scotch Bonnet Chili:

      This fresh chili is not optional, no matter how many Red Chilis you decide to use. For details see our African Chilis page.

  4. 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.

  5. Oil:

      Pure Olive Oil or Pomace Olive oil are fine, but not Virgin.

  6. Smoke Dried Fish:

      A very important flavoring ingredient through West Africa, available on-line in North America. For details see our Smoke Dried Fish page. Any of those fish should be fine.

  7. Maggi Cubes:

      This is a Bouillon Cube almost universally used in West Africa, but hard to get in North America. For details and substitutes see our Maggi® Cubes page. Use what Bouillon Cubes are available to you - or to be more "authentic" than most Nigerians are, Sumbala / Dawadawa.

  8. Variations:

      This recipe is my formulation, taking hints from a number of recipes by real Nigerians - and it is delicious. Some recipes use all Red Palm Oil, and some use none, and the amount of oil used varies a lot. What hot chilis are used and how many ranges to extremes (up to 40 hot red Thai chilis or Ata Wewe - even I'm not going to try that). Some recipes use ground "Crayfish" (actually dry smoked shrimp) instead of Dry Smoked Fish, some use both, and some use neither. Some are based on Tomatoes rather than Red Peppers. Texture ranges from very smooth to coarse salsa.
  9. 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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