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    Home » Recipes » Sauces, Dips, Dressings

    Published: February 22, 2020 | Last Modified: July 3, 2022 by Shruthi Baskaran-Makanju | This post may contain affiliate links. 💬 - 4 Comments

    Authentic West African Pepper Sauce (Nigerian)

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    Super versatile African pepper sauce with bell peppers, habanero peppers, tomatoes and onions - parboiled to perfection. Use as pasta sauce, or salsa-style dip!
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    This West African pepper sauce was one of the first things I learned to make for my fiancé. Called Ata Bi Bo or Ata Din Din in Nigeria, this pepper sauce forms the base of almost all their spicy dishes!

    This is super versatile, uses just four ingredients, and comes together in under 30 minutes! Make Jollof rice, Efo Riro, use as pasta sauce, or even a salsa-style dip: the possibilities are endless!

    Side view of pepper sauce in a small jar, with an orange Dutch oven in the background

    This post contains helpful tips and tricks! If you're in a rush, please use the "Jump to Recipe" link!

    This post might contain affiliate links. If you click on those and make a purchase, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to:
    • 💭 Why you'll love this recipe
    • 📋 Ingredients and notes
    • 📖 Make African pepper sauce
    • 👩🏽‍🍳Top tips and FAQs
    • 🍴 Serving and storage suggestions
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    💭 Why you'll love this recipe

    • Four ingredients and 30 minutes: This recipe uses easily available ingredients and comes together in no time! Great to make in large batches and freeze as well.
    • Super versatile: I love using this as a base for pasta (e.g. my spicy alfredo sauce) or for my favorite Nigerian Jollof rice, or as fiery salsa replacement!
    • Authentic Nigerian recipe: This recipe comes from my husband's family, and I make a batch of it every week for him! Hot peppers are a common ingredient in many Nigerian dishes, and this is no exception. However, I do use habanero peppers (versus Scotch Bonnet) since it's more easily available here.

    📋 Ingredients and notes

    You'll need red bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, and habanero peppers (or their more traditional counterpart - Scotch Bonnet pepper). If you're making a larger batch or want to store for longer times, you need to also use a high-heat cooking oil (vegetable oil, red palm oil or avocado oil).

    Labeled ingredient list for recipe - check recipe card for details

    Notes and Variations

    • Adjusting spice levels. Most West African pepper sauces are FIERY! This is due to habanero peppers. You can easily adjust this down by taking seeds out of the habanero, reducing the number of habanero peppers or leaving them out entirely!
    • Additional seasoning. This sauce is super versatile because it doesn't have any additional seasoning (so for instance, I can add bouillon or stock cubes to make this work for Jollof rice or add basil to make a pasta sauce). You can add other seasoning for extra flavor if you wish.
    • Oil versus no oil. This is a point of difference with my fiancé's family. I like to simply parboil the sauce, but his mother fries the sauce in oil after it's parboiled. Ata Bi Bo is the boiled version (this recipe) and Ata Din Din is when you fry it in oil.

    📖 Make African pepper sauce

    It's super simple and comes together in under 30 minutes.

    • Remove the stem and seeds of red bell peppers and habanero peppers, and chop them up roughly (depending on your spice tolerance)
    • Add a couple of tomatoes and half a onion. Add water just to help the blender.
    Overhead view of all the ingredients in the blender.
    Straight on view of blender with water added.

    Grind the ingredients at a high power level until you get a ground mixture.

    Straight on view of blender, with partially blended ingredients.
    Straight on view of blender, with fully blended ingredients.

    You can have this as smooth or as coarse as you want! Transfer the blended mixture to a large saucepan or a pot.

    Overhead view of blended mixture showing texture.
    Straight on shot showing hand pouring blended mixture into pot.

    Start off on a medium heat or medium-low heat until the liquid is heated. Then, turn the heat down to low, and parboil it for 20-30 minutes until the sauce becomes more dense. You're done when you start seeing bubbles appear on the top, and the water has mostly evaporated.

    Overhead view of the sauce in a jar, with a golden black spoon on the side.

    👩🏽‍🍳Top tips and FAQs

    Is West African pepper sauce super spicy? How can I tone it down?

    Despite it's name, this West African pepper sauce is super versatile. My recipe, as written, is medium-hot. If you want to make a milder but still have a kick, just add one habanero, or if you love the taste, but don't want it to be spicy, just use bell peppers!

    What is the difference between Ata Bin Bo and Ata Din Din?

    Ata Bin Bo is when you just use water and parboil the sauce. Ata Din Din is when you fry the sauce with oil. Both taste great!

    What is the ideal consistency of this Nigerian pepper sauce?

    The ideal consistency is actually a bit coarse and not super smooth! I often use a food processor instead of a blender (and traditionally, they'd blend this on a stone mill).

    🍴 Serving and storage suggestions

    The possibilities are endless! I wrote a long post about making Nigerian jollof rice a while ago. I used the Nigerian version of the pepper sauce (with an extra habanero) as the base for that recipe.

    I've also made a terrific alfredo with this sauce, but you can also just use this as a great replacement for your favorite hot sauce or as a dipping sauce. Though it's tangy, it's super versatile.

    You can store the sauce in the fridge for up to a week regardless of whether you use water or oil in the base.

    If you want to store it for longer, I suggest using oil, and topping off the container with a thin layer of oil to make sure it avoids all contact with air. This way, it'll last 2-3 weeks.

    You can also freeze this sauce for up to 4 to 6 months! Just make sure to portion and place in a freezer-safe container.

    If you like this recipe, check out my other African recipes:

    • Nigerian Jollof Rice
    • Ethiopian Cabbage
    • Vegan Efo Riro (Nigerian Spinach Stew)
    • Shiro Wat (Ethiopian Chickpea Stew)

    Did you make this recipe?! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
    Please leave a comment and a star rating and let me know how it went! We love hearing from you, thank you so much

     

    📖 Recipe

    Close up image of the pepper sauce in a jar, with an orange Dutch oven in the background
    Print Recipe
    5 from 2 votes

    African Pepper Sauce

    Super versatile African pepper sauce with bell peppers, habanero peppers, tomatoes and onions - parboiled to perfection. Use as pasta sauce, or salsa-style dip!
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time25 mins
    Total Time30 mins
    Course: Sauce
    Cuisine: African
    Diet: Vegan
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 27kcal
    Author: Shruthi Baskaran-Makanju

    Equipment

    • 1 Blender

    Ingredients

    • 4 red bell peppers
    • 3 habanero peppers
    • 3 Roma tomatoes
    • ½ onion
    • ½ cup water

    Instructions

    • Remove the stems and remove the seeds of the bell peppers. Chop into quarters. Remove the stem of the habanero peppers. Add to a blender or food processor with 3 tomatoes, half a yellow onion, and either ½ cup of water or oil (depending on the type of sauce you want).
    • Blend or pulse to your desired consistency. Traditionally, the sauce is a bit coarse, so I pulse for a minute. If you want it smoother, you can also just blend it.
    • Transfer to a medium pot, and simmer on a low-medium flame for about 20-30 minutes. If you used oil, it will float to the top when its done cooking. If you just used water, the sauce will reduce by half to the desired consistency.
    • Turn off the stove when all the water has evaporated - store in an air tight container in a fridge and use for up to a week! If you want to store for longer, make sure to top off the sauce with oil so it avoids all contact with air.

    Notes

    • If you're just using water, the sauce is done when the top starts forming large bubbles that pop - this means that most of the water has evaporated. 
    • I keep my sauce seasoning free so it can take on flavors best suited to the dish I make with the sauce (e.g. more bold curry-type flavors for jollof rice, or more Italian flavors for pasta) - you're welcome to add seasoning to the sauce after it parboils!
    • You can store the sauce in the fridge for up to a week regardless of whether you use water or oil in the base. If you want to store it for longer, I suggest using oil, and topping off the container with a thin layer of oil to make sure it avoids all contact with air. This way, it'll last 2-3 weeks. You can also freeze this sauce for up to 4 to 6 months! 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 27kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 203mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2092IU | Vitamin C: 85mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Tag @urbanfarmie or #urbanfarmie to let me know – I would LOVE to see your creations!

    Note: This recipe was originally published on February 22, 2020 and updated on July 2, 2022 with pictures, notes and helpful tips.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Christiane

      February 27, 2020 at 2:37 pm

      5 stars
      I love this kind of sauce and will definitely make it!

      Reply
    2. Ágnes

      May 17, 2021 at 11:33 am

      5 stars
      Sounds like the right versatile sauce

      Reply
    3. Meredith

      October 23, 2022 at 11:36 am

      To be a bit more authentic you should use red Bombay onions (not the mild red kind) if you can get them, and "tatase" or pimiento peppers instead of sweet red bell peppers. (Have lived in Nigeria for 16 years)

      Reply
      • Shruthi Baskaran-Makanju

        October 23, 2022 at 12:09 pm

        Hey Meredith! Agree on both 🙂 Hard to find tatase outside Nigeria unfortunately (I've only seen it in the US in one African store in NY, much to my husband's chagrin) but agree that it tastes WAY better if you use the combination you shared!

        Reply

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    Shruthi Baskaran - Recipe Developer, Food Photographer, and Blogger at Urban Farmie

    I am Shruthi, the recipe developer, photographer and blogger behind Urban Farmie. I have two graduate degrees from Stanford, one focused on food systems. And I hope to bring you everything you need for healthy-ish, comforting, nourishing vegetarian cooking.

    Read more →

    Recipe Key

    Dairy free
    Gluten free
    Nut free
    Vegan
    Vegetarian

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