Shito Sauce and My Obsession

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I discovered Shito sauce some moons ago. Did I like it then? hmmm not really. it was a little tasteless, or I may have not understood the taste. Shito is a Ghanaian sauce which I literally use for everything since I started making it. I could say with confidence that Shito is to Ghanaians what Agoyin sauce is to Nigerians.

According to Freeds of my burnt orange,  “Shito is one of Ghana’s most loved sauces.” It is served as a condiment or with a main meal as a side. I have had mine with stew, rice, yam, dodo(plantains), potatoes and fish. I’m totally obsessed with this sauce. Each time I eat some, it sends sweet sensations of heat through my body. If a competition is being held and the price was a jar of Shito, trust me to play in that competition. That is, I would strive to win that competition by force, by fire 🙂

Speaking of heat(tongue out), in my opinion, making Shito is a labor of love and for valentine’s day you might want to make some for your special one. I had some with some yam pancakes not too long ago and it was bae. Don’t ask me what bae is biko 🙂

On my quest to look for Shito, I asked for a recipe on a Facebook post of mine and there, Freed’s gave me a link to her recipe for Shito; which I adapted to my own style. Thank you Freeds, I can now make this on the regular. In fact I am having some right now with some yam and suya. If there ever was a Shito farm, I could work there just for the love of the sauce 🙂

4.5 from 6 reviews
Shito Sauce and My Obsession
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • 4 plum tomatoes
  • 4 small habanero peppers(ata-rodo)(optional)
  • 3tbsps tomato paste
  • 2tbsps powdered red pepper or chili flakes
  • 12 cloves(optional)
  • Paprika ½ tbsp.(optional)
  • 1tbsp broken bonga fish(dried fish, or fish powder works)
  • 2tbsps crayfish powder
  • 2 large onions(mince one)
  • 1⅓ cup oil(you could add more)
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 3-6inches ginger root(peeled)
  • Bouillon
  • salt to taste
Instructions
To prepare
  1. blend 1 onion with the plum tomatoes; along with the ginger, habanero (if using) and garlic.
  2. Heat a pot with the oil, add the cloves(if using) and fry for a few seconds to release it's flavor. Add the onion to the pot. Sauté until brown but not burnt; then add the tomato paste. Fry for a few minutes; then pour in the blended mix and fry until most of the oil has floated to the top. Add the paprika, chili flakes, dry fish powder and dry crayfish powder. Check for seasonings while you fry. Continue frying while stirring constantly. The sauce will begin to turn dark brown or a dark red color until it has turned completely....once the sauce turns color and it looks a little dry, remove from the heat and let it cool(you could remove excess oil at this point). Store in a jar and use as a condiment for any dish.

 

25 comments

  1. Tee says:

    I am definitely making this. Thank you for the recipe…
    Can you preserve in the jar in the cupboard or does it go in the fridge. How long does it keep for?
    Many thanks

  2. Zeezo says:

    Oh geh!! The only things that are wet that goes in shito are the onions and ginger everything else is dry. No tomatoes in shito. Dry pepper, shawa ( dry fish), crayfish, ginger and onions. Thee more onions and cray fish the sweeter the shito. Add salt and maggi to taste. I know you tweaked but hope you have this as an original recipe.

  3. Miss B says:

    where my husband comes from in Ghana tomato is always used in shito. So Nma yours is very close to what I’m used to except no cloves. Yours is authentic as well. its just like with any other culture. no two recipes are the same but this is just like what I’m used to . Thanks sis for sharing

  4. Amapra says:

    Shito can last up to a year if it’s made correctly and it doesn’t need to be stored in the fridge. It’s why a lot of boarding school students like taking it to school in Ghana. I’m a Ghanaian and when my mother makes shito, it can last up to 5 months without it ever spoiling. The key to a good shito is that there shouldn’t be any water remaining in it.

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