Nigerian Ewa Agoyin Recipe
For the beans:
2 cups red beans
salt to taste
For the sauce:
1 large white onion (thinly slices)
1 cup palm oil
1tsp salt
1 cube maggi
1/4 cup dried blended crayfish
1 large bell pepper (tatashe)
4 habanero peppers (Ata Rodo)
another half size medium onion
Direction
Beans:
Add 6 cups of water to a pot, set on low heat.
wash and add the beans. leave on low heat for 2hr:30min or until the beans is very soft.
Add salt to taste.
- In a blender, combine the bell pepper, habanero(rodo) pepper and the half medium onion. CHOP. (the desired texture is coarse )
- Set a medium sized pot on low heat, add the palm oil
- Bleach the oil for 10-15mins ( Caution: it might get smoky)
- Turn the heat to minimum, add the chopped onion, stir at interval until the onion is caramelized (the color should be black but not burnt). This takes about 30-40mins.
- Add in the blender chopped pepper to another pot, boil for 15mins (this is to remove excess water)
- Add the parboiled pepper to the fried onion, cook for about 15mins.
- Add in the crayfish, salt and maggi.
- Taste for seasoning
- Cook on medium heat for another 10mins.


Thank you for the recipe. I tried this yesterday; and even though it came out really nice, I’m curious to know how the original “agoyin” sauce has a crunchy texture? Thank you
Happy to know the recipe worked great for you. Crunchy? I know how the onions is fried affects the texture of the sauce. I have actually never had crunchy sauce before.
The agoyin recepie is a togolese recepie. It is usually made with dry pepper. That’s why it always has the cruncy feel.
Hi Temmytee, do you have a togolese version of the recipe? we will be happy if you share.
Yea, Adun is correct, there is this crunchiness the sauce has.
I plan to try this again, thanks for ur post.
Thanks for the recipe, i have been looking for it but what is HABANERO PEPPER in yoruba?
Habanero is “Ata Rodo”
Yes, it’s AtaRodo
Please can you help me with the Nigerian Names of the peppers in your recipe – I have seen the ata rodo , is the bell Pepper tatase?
Also in your future posts, please can you put the local names of the ingredients in parenthesis so that some of us are not discouraged from trying the recipes.
As this recipe is a Naija food, I knew that these names must have Nigerian Names, that’s why I am asking.
I have looked at other recipes where I assumed I might have to get to “tush” supermarkets to get the ingredients and got discouraged.
Thanks
Hi Bukki! I updated the recipe to reflect the local names i.e. tatashe and ata rodo. I will keep your advice in mind for future posts. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Hi, you keep saying one cup, is there a particular cup u use to measure?
Hi Empress! I think cup is standardized as a unit of measure all over…. I use the same cup as I use for baking I.E 250ML= 1 cup.
I am trying this recipe as we speak, I am keeping my fingers crossed and praying that it comes out really good especially as other will be eating it. This is my second time trying to make Ewa Agoyin, the first time, it did not come out right (by the way it was not your recipe i used the first time)
Good luck Ndy,I am here if you have any questions. Remember to be very patient with the onions.
I have a quick question, I tried the ewa agoyin recipe, the beans came out really good but I had a problem with the sauce. It did not turn out as dark as it should. It was kinda like a pepper orange. The taste was good that we ate the sauce with other things after the beans was done. What did I do wrong, do I need to cook the pepper longer till it turns dark, I was worried that it would burn.
It could be one of two things, it could be that the pepper mixture wasn’t dried enough before you added it to the onions or you didn’t fry the onions well. The onions should be very dark but not burnt.
I heard that some beans is added to the sauce to give it the unique taste it has, is this true and if beans is added how exactly is it added, from the recipe I saw on http://www.avartsycooking.com/2009/05/beans-regular-ewa-aganyin/ says beans is added, though this is the most nebulous recipe I have seen all my life, your recipe seem to be clearer but lacks the added beans.
HI, I have never heard of beans being added. The only reason I see for adding beans would be to thicken the sauce, if you make the sauce right it should be thick enough already.
To prepare the ewa aganyin sauce,bleach your palm oil,mix your ground pepper(ata gigun) in water.fry the chopped onions and then pour your mixed pepper,add salt and your seasoning.make sure you stir it so that it wont get burnt…
Nice! Will try it. Thanks for the recipe.
I love your food blog,you are doin such a wonderful job!
Thank you so so much!!