SUYA SPICED VEGETABLE KEBABS

We had a bunch of vegetable skewers left over from a bbq we had over the weekend and so I decided to spice some up for dinner last night. 

Suya is a popular street food in Nigeria - a shish kebab usually prepared using strips of skewered beef coated with suya spice (a.k.a. 'yaji') and oil, and then grilled over charcoal. It is normally sold wrapped in old newspaper and is a firm favourite among consumers across the nation. Various spice mixes exist; this is my take on it. 

Here, I had a good mix of chunky vegetables to work with: red onion, mixed bell peppers, and mushrooms. Feel free to experiment with whatever veg you have available. Why not try cubes of parboiled potatoes or carrots...? The options are endless. The key thing is to get your spice right! And hopefully this post will help you achieve that.

Ingredients

(for 8-10 skewers)

- mushrooms

- mix of chunky vegetables such as mixed peppers and onions

- 3 tbsp sunflower oil

- 1 cup roasted peanuts (finely ground)

- 1 tbsp garlic powder 

- 1 tbsp onion powder

- 1 tsp ground cloves

- 1-2 tbsps red chilli powder or cayenne pepper

- 1 tbsp ground ginger

- 1/2 tsp salt

To make the the suya spice, place the roasted peanuts in a pestle and mortar and grind to a smooth powder. Alternatively, you can use a spice grinder. Combine the peanut powder with all the spices and salt.

Place the mix of chunky vegetables in a large bowl. Drizzle on the sunflower oil and add 3/4 of the suya spice, mixing well to coat all the vegetables.

Skewer the vegetables and line them up on a foil-lined baking tray. When you're ready to cook them, place in a preheated oven (gas mark 6) for 15 minutes until all the vegetables are cooked. Or place them on a barbecue/grill and grill as normal, turning frequently to prevent excessive charring. 

Sprinkle with the rest of the suya spice and serve hot.

Serving suggestion: with jollof rice