The name comes from a 14th-century Hausa ruler named Yaji.
The Hausa word Yaji means “hot one”. It is a popular spice blend from northern Nigeria that is used to season meat, fish, chicken, and other foods.
Yaji is a complex blend of spices like ginger, garlic, pepper, Kuli Kuli, paprika, and onions. It is usually used as a spice for Nigerian ready-to-eat meat, also known as suya, a popular street food of thinly sliced barbecued meat.
There is no single recipe for this mixture of spices. There are in fact, many versions; we’ll guide you on how to make this pepper using groundnuts.
Ingredients
Garlic powderGround gingerCayenne pepperOnion powderRoasted groundnut (powder)Crushed bouillon cubes (preferably Maggi cubes)Smoked paprikaSaltBlack pepper
Typical ingredients for your homemade suya [MyDiasporaKitchen]
How to prepare
In a bowl, combine the groundnut powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, ginger powder, black pepper, crushed Maggi cubes and salt.Mix the ingredients thoroughly to ensure an even distribution of flavours.Add all the ingredients in a dry blender and blend till all ingredients are well mixed together.The spice may have larger granules of ground peanuts, so sieve the suya pepper blend for a smoother spiceUse immediately or transfer it to an airtight container.
Pair Yaji spice with grilled meat [GiftedCulinarian]
The yaji can be sprinkled generously over grilled chicken, fish or suya.
