OBE SAUCE [REVIEW] - Jollof Rice in 15 Minutes? [Video]

My dad was the first to rave about this product and so when I was sent a couple of pouches to try, you can only imagine my excitement. Nope, this is not a sponsored post. Just me putting the sauce to the test and sharing my discovery with you. If you like what you see/hear, perhaps you'll try it for yourself the next time you spot one on the shelves at Shoprite or other grocery stores around Nigeria.

Obe Sauce is a wonderfully simple but genius idea by the Nigerian food company Easy Sauces Ltd. If you've read my blog for long, you'll know that at the core of most Nigerian savoury dishes is the iconic blend of red pepper, tomatoes and onions (check out my red pepper mix post). It is the base for jollof rice, stewed beans, moin moin, my version of yam pottage, and all kinds of stews. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. 

Regular vs. Hot

What Obe Sauce does is to take the stress out of chopping and blending these ingredients yourself. Perhaps not ideal for the seasoned cook who doesn't mind spending an extra few minutes making everything from scratch, but for those who crave convenience or want to cut their cooking time in half, this is pure perfection.

Vacuum packed to retain freshness, the sauces contain zero preservatives and do not require freezing or refrigeration. They can pretty much sit in the cupboard for months on end and still be good to go. If you think I'm exaggerating, I received these pouches way back in July and only just got round to testing them in the past month. The moment I tore them open, I was hit with that familiar smell of just-blended pepper. If only I could have captured my expression of awe and disbelief on camera... Each pouch contains the right ratio of vine-ripened tomatoes, red bell peppers, onions, hot peppers (ata rodo), water and salt. 

In the short video below, you'll see for yourself how I was able to make my beloved jollof rice in about 15 minutes. Less time cooking and more time chowing. For that alone, Obe Sauce gets a thumbs up from me. Talk less of the satisfyingly familiar taste which confirmed that the mixture was spot on!

Note: One 450g pouch was enough for 2 cups of rice (4 servings).