Beef Suya Kofta with Jollof Rice
Bold, nutty beef suya kofta served with West African-inspired jollof rice, sweet fried plantains, and fresh tomato, cucumber, and red onion. This flavorful weekend dinner brings together contrasting spicy, savory, sweet, and fresh flavors in one satisfying plate without turning it into an all-day cooking project.
Suya is a popular street food in Nigeria, traditionally made with meat seasoned with yaji, a distinctive spice blend commonly made with ground roasted peanuts, chilies, ginger, garlic, and other spices. The seasoned meat is grilled over high heat, giving it a deeply savory, spicy, and nutty flavor.
For these kofta, those flavors are paired with the familiar shape and texture of kofta. The meat is seasoned with a suya seasoning straight from Lagos, then finished with finely ground roasted peanuts for a nutty exterior. The basic kofta structure is adapted from my Lamb Kofta with Cape Malay Rice, but the seasoning and accompaniments take this version in a completely different direction. Rather than making yaji completely from scratch, the ready-made spice provides the foundation while the additional peanuts reinforce one of suya's defining flavors.
The kofta are served with West African-inspired jollof rice, a beloved rice dish with many regional and household variations throughout West Africa. Nigerian, Ghanaian, Senegalese, and other preparations differ in their rice, seasoning, cooking methods, and accompaniments, making jollof a dish with no single universal formula.
This isn't an attempt to recreate an authentic Nigerian suya or jollof recipe. Instead, it draws inspiration from West African food traditions and adapts those flavors into an approachable home-cooked meal. Think of it as a celebration of the flavors and an interpretation that can be recreated in your own kitchen.
Fresh tomato, cucumber, and red onion are served alongside the suya to provide a cool, crisp contrast to the richly seasoned meat, while fried plantains add a touch of sweetness.
For another way to use the flavors of yaji, try the Spicy Suya Steak with Creamy Cauliflower Purée and Peanut Gremolata, which takes those flavors in a completely different direction.
Beef Suya Kofta with West African Jollof Rice
Juicy beef kofta seasoned with Nigerian suya seasoning, coated in finely ground roasted peanuts, and served with tomato-pepper jollof rice, fried plantains, and fresh vegetables.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp heaped, very finely grated onion (keep the juices)
- 1½ tbsp suya seasoning
- ½ tsp all-purpose steak seasoning
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp ghee or high-heat cooking oil, for cooking
- ¼ cup roasted unsalted peanuts
- 1½ tbsp suya seasoning
- 2 cups parboiled long-grain rice, rinsed
- ¼ cup neutral cooking oil
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 3 Roma tomatoes
- ½ medium red onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger
- ½ Scotch bonnet, optional
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 2 bay leaves
- 2½ cups chicken stock
- 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp Spice for Rice
- 2 ripe plantains
- Neutral oil, for frying
- 1 large tomato, sliced
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ English cucumber, sliced
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- 1. Prepare the peanut-suya coating
- 1. Place the ¼ cup roasted peanuts in a spice grinder.
- 2. Pulse briefly until finely ground and sandy. Do not grind continuously or the peanuts will turn into peanut butter.
- 3. Mix the ground peanuts with 1½ tbsp suya seasoning.
- 4. Set aside.
- 2. Prepare the kofta
- 1. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, garlic, grated onion, 1½ tbsp suya seasoning, Shisanyama seasoning and salt.
- 2. Mix gently until just combined. Do not overwork the meat.
- 3. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- 4. Divide into 6–8 portions and shape each into an elongated kofta.
- 3. Prepare the jollof pepper base
- 1. Roughly chop the bell pepper, tomatoes and onion.
- 2. Add them to a blender with the garlic, ginger and Scotch bonnet, if using.
- 3. Blend until smooth.
- 4. Set aside.
- 4. Cook the jollof base
- 1. Heat ¼ cup oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.
- 2. Add the 2 tbsp tomato paste and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- 3. Add the blended pepper mixture.
- 4. Cook uncovered over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick, concentrated and noticeably darker. Do not rely solely on a set cooking time; the mixture should lose much of its excess water before the rice is added.
- 5. Add the curry powder, fresh thyme, bay leaf, black pepper, salt and South African Spice for Rice.
- 6. Stir well and taste the sauce. Adjust the salt if needed.
- 5. Add the rice
- 1. Add the rinsed rice to the cooked pepper mixture.
- 2. Stir gently until the rice is coated.
- 3. Add 2½ cups chicken stock.
- 4. Stir once and bring to a gentle simmer.
- 5. Cover the pot tightly with aluminum foil, then place the lid over the foil.
- 6. Reduce the heat to low and cook for approximately 20 minutes.
- 7. Check the rice. If the grains are tender, turn off the heat. If they are still firm, add a small amount of additional stock or water, reseal and cook until tender.
- 8. Once tender, keep covered and let the rice rest for 10 minutes.
- 9. Remove the bay leaf and gently fluff with a fork.
- 6. Cook the plantains
- 1. Peel the plantains and slice diagonally into approximately ½-inch pieces.
- 2. Heat about ¼ inch of oil in a skillet to approximately 325–340°F.
- 3. Fry the plantains for 3–4 minutes per side, until golden brown and soft in the center.
- 4. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and season lightly with salt if desired.
- 7. Cook the kofta
- 1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- 2. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat and add the 1 tbsp ghee or cooking oil.
- 3. Sear the kofta for approximately 2 minutes per side, until browned and marked.
- 4. Transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- 5. Press the peanut-suya mixture onto the outside of each kofta, creating a thin, even coating.
- 6. Bake uncovered for 8–12 minutes, or until the center of the thickest kofta reaches 160°F (71°C).
- 7. Remove from the oven and rest for 5 minutes.
- 8. Serve
- Arrange the jollof rice on a platter and nestle the beef suya kofta alongside it. Add the fried plantains and fresh tomato, cucumber and red onion.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Suya seasoning: Use a Nigerian suya/yaji seasoning you enjoy. Yaji blends vary, so adjust the amount and salt according to the particular blend you're using. Suya seasoning is the defining flavor here; the additional Shisanyama seasoning is deliberately kept small.
- Peanuts: Pulse rather than continuously grinding them. You want a fine, sandy texture—not peanut butter.
- Kofta moisture: The finely grated onion helps keep the beef moist. Mix gently and avoid overcooking.
- Cooking temperature: Ground beef kofta should reach 160°F (71°C) in the center.
- Jollof base: The most important step for a deeply flavored rice is cooking the blended tomato-pepper mixture down sufficiently before adding the rice. Don't stop simply because a particular number of minutes has passed.
- Plantains: Use ripe plantains for sweetness and a soft interior that balances the savory kofta and spicy rice.
I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on dontmissmyplate.com should only be used as a general guideline.