A colourful mix of tender, suya-style beef and lightly stir-fried vegetables that’s simple, balanced, and full of flavour. Inspired by the bold, nutty spice of Nigerian street-style suya, this version brings that same warmth and aroma to a comforting home-cooked platter. It’s the kind of meal that looks good on the plate and feels good to eat.
Ingredients
For the beef:
- Beef (cut into wide strips)
- seasoning cube ( to taste)
- ½ small scotch bonnet
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 small clove
- A small piece of grated ginger
- kulikuli yaji blend (optional)
- Shasu Pepper Mix (Yaji) or pepper mix of your choice
- A drizzle of oil
For the vegetables:
- 1 small courgette (cut in to strips)
- 2-3 carrots thinly (cut in to strips)
- 1 red onion (cut into rings)
- 1 sweet red pepper (cut in to strips)
- A few fresh basil leaves
Method
- Start by cutting the vegetables into thin strips and setting them aside.
- Grind the scotch bonnet, garlic, and clove together into a paste, then mix it with the grated ginger, Yaji, seasoning cube, and a drizzle of oil to make your marinade. Coat the beef strips well and let them sit for a few minutes to absorb the flavours.
- Heat your pan and grill the beef strips, turning them every now and again until cooked through. You want the inside to stay moist, not dry. Once done, sprinkle over the Kulikuli Yaji blend while the beef is still hot and toss gently so it coats evenly. Then set the beef aside.
- In the same pan, add your prepared vegetables and stir-fry for about two minutes, keeping the heat high and the motion constant. Just before turning off the heat, toss in the chopped basil to keep its fresh aroma. (you want the vegetable a bit crunchy)
- To serve, layer the vegetables first, then place the beef on top.
A Note from My Kitchen
If you’re not familiar with it, Kulikuli is a traditional West African peanut snack, crunchy, savoury, and full of flavour. It’s made by grinding roasted peanuts into a paste, pressing out some of the oil, and then frying what’s left until it turns golden and crisp. When crushed and blended with spices, it becomes a rich, nutty seasoning often used in suya, Nigeria’s beloved street-style grilled meat.
My Kulikuli Yaji blend carries that same essence, a warm, nutty heat that gives the beef its signature suya-inspired flavour. The Shasu Pepper Mix, on the other hand, adds a smoother, more balanced spice with notes of garlic and ginger.
