Ewa Agoyin Stew Recipe

It’s time to discover one of the best African recipes ever, the Ewa Agoyin Stew!

Ewa Agoyin Stew, or simply Ewa Agoyin, is a Nigerian dish created by the Yoruba group that began as early as the Benin Republic. It is best known for its thick, creamy, and deeply flavored quality that you will never forget.

You will surely love how rich and bold the flavors and textures are. It’s already incredibly delicious on its own, but wait until you serve it with the most awesome dish pairings you can imagine.

The Ewa Agoyin Stew is surely going to be one of your favorite soups and stews. You might be surprised at how easy it is to cook at home. Your whole family will certainly want a taste of this stew!

Facts About Ewa Agoyin Stew

Where does Ewa Agoyin originate from?

Ewa Agoyin is a popular Nigerian street and a staple food in Lagos. It is derived from two words; Ewa, which means beans in Yoruba, and Agoyin, a group of people in the Benin Republic, beans sellers or hawkers, a general term used by Nigerians to refer to Beninese and Togolese. 

History of Ewa Agoyin

Ewa Agoyin is a phrase coined by Nigerians to refer to the Togolese and Beninese people due to the type of beans they prepare. The term was first introduced into Nigerian cuisine in the 1960s by the first generation of Agoyin migrants and gained immense popularity in Lagos during the 80s before it spread across Africa. Key takeaways:

1. Ewa Agoyin is a phrase referring to Togolese and Beninese people;
2. It was first introduced by Agoyin migrants during the 1960s; 
3. By the mid-90s, it had spread to other parts of Africa.

How to Make Ewa Agoyin Stew

Cooking Ewa Agoyin Stew will make you realize how simple stewing can be. All you have to do is learn how to make the rich, sweet, and spicy pepper sauce. From there, you can cook the Ewa Agoyin Stew perfectly!

Put on your apron and let’s get cooking!

Ingredients

How simple is the Ewa Agoyin Stew? Take a look at the ingredients first.

Ewa agoyin sauce

A good Ewa Agoyin Stew always starts with Ewa Agoyin Sauce.

Savor the sweet and savory flavors of the sauce when you make it with bell peppers, sweet peppers, and onion. Just blend all of these to get the best mix of flavor and aroma.

The bell peppers and sweet peppers are going to give the sauce a vibrant flavor. On the other hand, onions will give it a pungent, spicy, and peppery flavor that takes the sauce to a whole new level.

Once you get the perfect Ewa Agoyin sauce, your stew recipe will be 100% foolproof! Grab your blender because you will need it for the sauce recipe. Remember that good quality sauce is the secret to the best-tasting stew!

Pepper seeds

Don’t throw the pepper seeds away because you will need to cook the stew.

Pepper seeds are perfectly safe to cook at eat. The capsaicin from pepper seeds will give the stew an awesome spicy flavor to go with the sweet sauce. A touch of fiery flavor in your stew can certainly go a long way.

Some may be bitter, but you can always balance them with other condiments. Whenever you use peppers for your recipes, don’t forget to set the seeds aside for your Ewa Agoying Stew!

Chilies

It won’t be an Ewa Agoyin Stew without chilies.

Chili always makes any dish better. Adding a kick of spice to your dishes can make the dining experience better. However, it depends entirely on how spicy you want your stew to taste.

Moreover, it’s not just all about the spice because chilies can give dishes a warm and slightly fruity flavor. Fresh chilies and chili flakes are both fantastic options to add to your stew.

Onion

Make it an authentic Ewa Agoyin Stew with onion.

The onion will give the dish a caramelized flavor and texture to make it a real stew. As you cook the onion in the sauce, it will also be infused with the peppery and spicy flavors for the best-tasting onions.

Seasoning

You will need seasoning to make the dish tastier.

This recipe uses stock cubes (or all-purpose seasoning) and sea salt, but you are free to use other herbs and spices. Remember to balance the flavors for the best results. 

You don’t have to use fancy and expensive ingredients for the best-tasting Ewa Agoyin Stew. It only takes these accessible and affordable fruits and vegetables, and seasonings – herbs and spices to achieve your own version at home. 

Directions

It’s time for the exciting part – cooking the Ewa Agoyin Stew!

1. Use a knife to deseed and chop the bell peppers, sweet peppers, and onion.
2. Turn them into the sauce in a blender.
3. Once smooth and runny, set it aside.
4. Heat oil in a pot over medium fire.
5. Sautee the onion until it caramelizes.
6. Then, add the blended pepper sauce.
7. Cover the pot with a lid to cook for a minute. 
8. Season it with crushed chilies.
9. Cover the pot with a lid halfway to let the steam escape.
10. Reduce the fire to low heat.
11. Then, cook for 20 minutes with occasional stirring. 
12. Add in the sea salt and stock cubes and continue to cook it on low heat for 20 minutes.
13. Stir in the pepper seeds with a wooden spatula.
14. Let the stew cook for another five minutes until you get your preferred color. 
15. Once happy with the flavor, transfer the stew into a dish to serve!

Who knew something so delicious could be made with the simplest steps, right? Now, you get to taste how delicious and rich the Ewa Agoyin Stew is!

Tips

No-Blender Ewa Agoyin Sauce

If you don’t have a blender, then you can always use a food processor, immersion blender, food mill, or other similar kitchen tools. Otherwise, chop it finely with a knife or slice it using a grater. 

Pepper Seeds

Here’s what you need to do to extract the pepper seeds successfully:

1. Slice off the stem.
2. Then, cut the pepper in half vertically.
3. Scrape off the seeds with a spoon.

Chili Flakes

Chili flakes are readily available in grocery stores, but why not make your own with spicy scotch bonnets? 

First, rinse and shred the scotch bonnets with a knife. Remember to use gloves. Dehydrate them in a preheated oven at 85°c for at least two hours or until crisp. 

Use a food processor, blender, mortar and pestle, or spice grinder to convert it into chili flakes. Store this in a jar to last up to several months. 

Ewa Agoyin Stew Variations

Are there other ways to make Ewa Agoyin Stew? Yes, there are!

Aside from the classic recipe, you can add tomato sauce for a touch of color and sweet and sour flavors. Fresh tomatoes can also be great for your stew, especially if you want a chewy feeling.

Some home cooks also like to make the stew with egusi seeds or melon seeds. These seeds add a delicious rich flavor and texture to the dish. The stew will surely be extra creamy.

In this recipe, I showed you the traditional way of making the stew. But you can also add ingredients such as ground crayfish, smoked fish, and other spices. Now, you know more than one way of cooking Ewa Agoyin Stew!

More Stew Recipes

• Ayemese Stew – taste the goodness of green bell peppers in Ayamese Stew.
• Fried Pepper Stew – enjoy assorted meat and peppers in one dish.
• Red Bream Stew – cook your red bream fish to perfection.
• Assorted Meat Stew – get savory and smoky flavors from the meat.
• Smoked Mackerel Stew – cook your smoked mackerel in a stew for better flavor.
• Chicken Gizzard Stew – turn your chicken gizzards into a stew for the best meal.
• Fish Stew – wait until you taste fish in a sweet stew.

Recommended Tools

• Pot: Cook the Ewa Agoyin Stew in a pot. 
• Blender: Make the pepper sauce using a blender. 
• Spatula: Stir the stew with a spatula. 
• Knife: Slice the ingredients using a knife. 

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How to Serve Ewa Agoyin Stew

There are different ways to serve and enjoy the Ewa Agoyin Stew.

One of the traditional ways to eat it is to eat it with a side of beans, especially black-eyed beans or black beans for a sweet flavor. Just add the stew on top of the beans and taste how delicious they taste.

Rice is also one of the best pairings with the stew. I especially like cooking basmati rice because of its loose and fluffy texture. The stew will also taste fantastic with plantains, potatoes, and yams.

Here are some of the best side dishes that can go well with the stew:

• Boiled Yam – cook your yams to soften them.
• Fried Yam – fry the yams to make them sweet and starchy.
• Roasted Plantains – enjoy your plantains with stew on the side.
• Fried Plantains – deep fry the plantains to see how tasty they are.
• High-Protein Beans – you can best enjoy your stew with beans.
• Fried Rice – serve your stew with fried rice for breakfast.

You can have this for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even as a snack on a comforting day. Eat this in moderation to prevent adverse effects.

Storage Tips

• At room temperature: Ewa Agoyin is best eaten within two hours of cooking.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the English of Ewa Agoyin?

In English, the word “ewa” means beans! It is derived from the first recipes of Ewa Agoyin that used beans as the base. The term was also popularized by Beninese and Togolese people to reflect the origins of the dish.

Is Ewa Agoyin a Yoruba food?

Yes, it is mostly! Yoruba is a melting pot of the best dishes, especially stews like the Ewa Agoyin Stew.

Which tribe owns Ewa Agoyin?

The Agoyins created the Ewa Agoyin during the Togo and Benin Republic. They were also the ones who introduced the dish to Nigeria. In fact, the word “Ewa” means beans in their language.

Where does Ewa Agoyin originate from?

Ewa Agoyin Stew originated from Western Nigeria. This dish has also evolved and been modified by countries to adapt it to their cultures. This recipe is the traditional Ewa Agoyin Stew recipe.