How to make Ewa Aganyin

Ewa Aganyin (also spelled as Ewa Agoyin) is a street food commonly eaten across Nigeria. The dish mainly consists of beans cooked until extremely soft and then mashed. Further ingredients are usually bell peppers, onion, ginger, dried chilies and palm oil which are prepared as a stew. It is commonly eaten with bread which has become a popular combination in Africa.

Notes:

• I used Black Eyed Peas for this recipe because it’s my preference, feel free to use the Nigerian honey Beans (Ewa Oloyin) if that’s what you like.
• Ewa Agoyin tends to dry out fast once it’s mashed, and the colder it gets, the drier it appears, so adjust the water level as required.
• You don’t have to bleach the Palm Oil you will use for cooking making the Sauce, once it’s very hot it’s okay

Ingredients – Mix yours or buy a ready made Aganyin mix

For the Beans

• 1 lb Beans
• 6-8 Cups Water
• salt to taste
• For the Sauce
• 3/4 Cup Chili Dried
• 2 Red Bell Pepper Dried
• 1 Medium Onion
• 1 Tsp Ginger
• 2 Tsp Cray Fish
• 2 Seasoning Cubes
• Salt To Taste
• 1 Cup Palm Oil

Directions for making Ewa Agoyin (Ewa Aganyin)

• Pick out the specks of dirt from the beans, rinse and drain the beans a couple of times.
• Pour the beans in a stockpot, add the water and cook till it becomes very tender – about 2 to 2½ hours.
• Use a Potato Masher or a wooden spoon to mash the Beans to your preference.

Directions for cooking Ewa Agoyin / Ewa Aganyin Stew

• Rehydrate the dried Chilies and bell peppers by soaking them in water overnight or pour hot boiling water over them for about 2 hours
• Blend the rehydrated Peppers with the onions, ginger, and about a quarter cup of water and set aside.
• Preheat the Palm oil in a pan on medium heat until the oil is very hot but not bleached.
• Add the sliced onion and let it cook for about 10 to 15 minutes. We want it browned and not black or burnt.
• Stir in the blended peppers and cook for about 10 minutes
• Add the seasoning cubes, crayfish, and salt to taste.
• Leave it to cook for another 5 to 10 minutes; by this time, the color of the pepper would have changed from bright red to dark red. If not, cook for some additional time.
• Serve the Sauce over the Ewa Agoyin (Ewa Aganyin) or eat with your Agege Bread and Enjoy!