Lamb Suya (Lazy Chef Twist)

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I’d like to say this is suya with a popping difference. I was going to share this during the past holiday season, but I was too beat down to even function. I was doing too much at once and it just seemed as if I could not do anything. I decided to learn to pace myself; as success is not judged by how far, but by how well. I want to put out recipes for my readers, but I like to put out a well thought out recipe. One thing I do not want to hear is that a recipe of mine did not work out for a reader.

Anyway, I was experimenting with some lamb and I decided to make some suya out of it. See, in Nigeria we make suya out of ram and pretty much every meat, but my favorite is ram and the closest to ram that I could find in my neck of the woods was lamb. For me, making this suya meant making something totally different. Something that usually is not the norm…I thought and thought to myself until I came up with this recipe. It is simple and easy and has a unique, spicy taste to it.

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When it comes to making suya, there are two different spices. One is to season and one is to serve. But I ran out of the seasoning, so I used Yaji; which is the one meant to serve the suya. You could season and serve with the Yaji, no harm done really. We no be Mai Suya na(one who makes suya professionally).

Okay, I can see from the corner of my eye my foreign readers asking “please what is suya?” Well I explained in details here 🙂

As I write this, I remember poor “wakey wakey”. Growing up, my friend’s dad had bought this ram and we named him “Wakey Wakey” He was an adorable ram. He never tried to head butt us or anything of that sort :). In fact, we cooked for him using small tins and some small fire wood. We used to cook him rice and bitter leaf and he would eat the whole tin. It’s a wonder that we did not burn the place down either. Well, one morning we woke up and poor “Wakey wakey” was gone. All we could see was a rope and blood stains. Poor guy had been cut up and converted into a pot of pepper soup. All that rice and bitter leaf; gone down the drain. Oh and I digress! 🙂

Turning this popular street snack into my own thing was not disappointing. Although sometimes, I do enjoy adding little twists to some of our local dishes, I also like to respect their sanctity. I remember thinking “hmm, make I no spoil this thing oh, them no send me.” But then I also thought it couldn’t be that bad, it was just onion and pepper, so I went for it. I hope the Mai suyas don’t come for my head oh! Lwkmd

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I have tried this recipe more than three times and successfully too. Once I had it with bean fritters i.e. akara and I swear, that was a combination to die for! Or is it the combination with soaked garri? Kaii you will thank me later; trust me gan 🙂

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If you don’t like ram, lamb or even beef, I promise you could use any meat you like; even up to sea food.

I have to stop typing. Okay, now make some and tag me on any social media platform 🙂

Lamb Suya (Lazy Chef Twist)
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Cuisine: Nigerian(African)
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1½ lb of lamb chops
  • Half a small onion
  • 1-2 large habanero peppers(ata-rodo)
  • 2-3 tbsps. heaped of Yaji(suya powder)
  • 1 tsp oil(optional)
  • 1-2 tbsps. oil
  • Bouillon
  • salt to taste
For serving
  • one cucumber
  • a hand full of sliced cabbage
  • one purple or sweet onion
  • one tomatoe
  • yaji powder
Instructions
  1. Slice the lamb chops against the grain, season with salt and 1 tsp oil and set aside
  2. crush the pepper, bouillon(if using) and onion together then work it into the lamb pieces.
  3. Mix the suya spice with the oil.
  4. Work half of the mix it into the lamb pieces. Set it aside for about 10minutes to an hour. Preheat oven or grill to 375-400 degrees(depending on how your oven or grill cooks). Grill the meat pieces on a baking tray in the oven or directly on the grill for about 10-15minutes; depending on how your oven cooks. While the meat is grilling, brush on the remaining suya paste you made in the beginning. Once the meat is cooked to your satisfaction, place in a plate or a chopping board to cool for about 5-10 minutes; while you cut up the vegetables for serving. Toss the meat in yaji powder and serve with the vegetables

 

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