West African Pili Pili Sauce

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Pili pili, often called piri piri, is served as a table condiment in
West Africa, where it heats up grilled meat, poultry, shrimp, and fish.
Nearly any green chile can be used to make this sauce. Some recipes call
for tomatoes or tomato sauce to be added.

Ingredients

1 pound serrano or jalapeño chiles, seeds and stems removed, coarsely
chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
Juice of one lemon
Water to thin

Instructions

Place all of the ingredients, except the water, in a food processor and
blend them into a paste, adding water until the desired consistency is
achieved. Store in a jar in the refrigerator, where it will keep for
many weeks.

Palaver Sauce

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

From Sierra Leone, here is one of the more unusual hot sauces I
encountered. Besides palm oil, it is characterized by greens such as
cassava and sweet potato leaves; spinach makes an adequate substitute.
Some versions of this dish are more of a stew than a sauce, but this one
is designed to be served over rice. Warning: Palm oil is high in
saturated fat.

Ingredients

1 cup red palm oil (found in Asian markets), or substitute peanut oil
1/2 cup minced lean beef
1 onion, chopped
3 jalapeño chiles, seeds and stems removed, minced
2 cups shredded spinach
1/2 cup smoked fish, such as kippers

Instructions

Heat the palm oil in a large skillet and fry the beef until just brown.
Remove the beef and add the onion and jalapeño and cook until soft,
about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the spinach and stir fry for 2 minutes.
Return the beef to the skillet, crumble in the fish, and cook for 5
minutes over medium heat, stirring constant. Add more palm oil if the
mixture is too thick.

Sauce Gombo

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Gombo means okra in West Africa, and that vegetable is the primary
thickening agent of this simple sauce from Ghana. The sauce can be
served like a soup or poured over potatoes, plantains, or other starchy
tubers.

Ingredients

1 pound fresh okra, sliced into rounds
1 cup water
1 teaspoon hot chile powder, such as cayenne
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tomato, coarsely chopped

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and cook over medium heat for for
8 to 10 minutes, or until the okra is tender. Serve it as is or puree it
in a blended for a smoother sauce.

Ata Dindin (Nigerian Fried Red Pepper Sauce)

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Ata is the Yoruba word for chile pepper, and Nigerian chiles range from
the tiny ata wewe to the large ata funfun. It is served like a relish or
dip with many West African dishes, particularly grilled meats.
Variation: Add 1 bell pepper, chopped

Ingredients

10 dried red New Mexican chiles, seeds and stems removed, soaked in hot
water for 1 hour
1/2 cup peanut oil
1 onion, chopped
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Remove the chiles from the water and puree them in a blender or food
processor.
Heat the oil in a skillet, add the onion, pureed chiles, tomato sauce,
and salt. Fry over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

L’Exotic Sauce Dynamite

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Here is a typical Madagascar-style sauce that was served at the
Restaurant L’Exotic in Montreal. The sauce accompanied most of the
entrees at L’Exotic and it also can be added to soups or stews to spice
them up.

Ingredients

12 “bird’s eye” chiles (chiltepíns or piquins), crushed
3 tablespoons freshly ground ginger root
3 tablespoons freshly ground garlic
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 cup white vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup water
1 tablespoon freshly chopped thyme

Instructions

Mix all the ingredients together in a pan. Bring to boil, then reduce
heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, cool, puree in a
blender, and place the sauce in a small jar. It keeps for up to a year
in the refrigerator.