West African beef kebabs, also known as Suya in Nigerian street food, are popular. This is a skewer of juicy, spicy
meat made with peanut butter sauce.As part of “”West African Cuisine Recipes,”” I will be sharing some of the recipes I enjoyed while living in that
region. Suya is one of them, and in Sierra Leone, it was called Seree. It is essentially a spicy skewer beef dish
blended with tomatoes and peanuts. This dish originated in Nigeria and is considered the ultimate West African
street food. Beef kebabs are also very popular at Nigerian barbecues.My recipe is not entirely authentic but incorporates Middle Eastern influences into Suya. The town where I grew up
had a large Lebanese community, so there were Middle Eastern influences, such as using seven spices in the spicy
peanut butter blend or serving the skewered meat with pita bread. However, the basic elements of the authentic
recipe are present here.
In the bowl of a food processor, process the onion until finely chopped. Then add the peanut butter, tomato
puree, olive oil, allspice, salt, crushed red pepper, and dried ginger. Continue blending until well mixed and
smooth.
Transfer the sauce from the blender to a large bowl, add the beef, and coat it thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate
for 20 minutes to marinate the beef.
When ready to grill, thread the beef onto wooden or metal skewers. Pour any remaining marinade over the beef
kebabs.
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and coat it with cooking spray.
Grill the beef kebabs on the preheated grill, turning once on each side, until the meat is nicely charred, about
10-15 minutes.
