Obe Ata (Red Pepper Sauce)

Serious Eats: “Main ingredients are red bell peppers along with hot fresh chile peppers like habaneros (or Scotch bonnets), tomato, onion, and garlic. Use more or less red palm oil [or substitute available oil]; add flavorings like Nigerian curry powder, fresh ginger, and ground Cameroon chiles, which are both spicy and smoky; you can even choose whether to make it smooth or leave it chunkier….Try briefly simmering cooked chicken in it; hardboiled eggs
can be shelled and gently simmered in the sauce as well. Lots of vegetables, like sweet potatoes and greens, can be cooked in the sauce for a vegetarian option.As a dip, it’s great with plantain chips.” https://www.seriouseats.com/obe-ata-nigerian-red-pepper-sauce

Makes about 1 quart

Ingredients

• 4 red bell peppers (about 2¼ pounds; 1 kg), stemmed, cored, and cut into roughly 1/2-inch dice
• 5 tablespoons (67 ml) red palm oil, divided (or a neutral oil)
• Kosher salt
• 6 medium cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 3 large plum tomatoes (a scant 1 pound; 400 g), cored and quartered
• 4 Fresno chile peppers (about 1 ounce; 26 g), stemmed, seeded, and cut into roughly 1/2-inch dice (or mild red chili peppers)
• 2 habanero or Scotch bonnet peppers (about 1/2 ounce;
• 15 g), stemmed, seeded, and cut into roughly 1/2-inch dice (optional)
• 1 large red onion (about 1 pounds; 400 g), peeled and cut into roughly 1/2-inch dice
• One 2-inch segment peeled fresh ginger (about 3/4 ounce; 20 g), roughly chopped
• 1 quart (1 L) chicken stock, vegetable stock, or water
• 5 tablespoons (67 ml) canola or other neutral oil
• ¼ teaspoon Nigerian curry powder, such as Lion’s Brand, or more to taste (optional)
• Ground Cameroon pepper, to taste (sub another hot and smoky pepper powder if desired)

Directions

1. Roast vegetables
   • Heat oven to 400°F (200°C) and set oven racks in the top- and bottom-third positions. Line two rimmed baking
   sheets with parchment paper.
   • In a large bowl, toss red bell peppers with 2 tablespoons (30ml) preferred oil (palm or vegetable). Season with salt.
   Transfer in an even layer to one of the rimmed baking sheets. In the same large bowl, toss garlic, tomato, Fresno
   chile, habanero, onion, and ginger with 2 tablespoons (60ml) oil. Season with salt. Transfer in an even layer to the
   other rimmed baking sheet.
   • Roast the vegetables, stirring and rotating baking sheets once or twice during cooking, until all are tender, some
   of their juices have cooked off, and they are charred in spots, about 45 minutes for the red bell peppers and 30
   minutes for the tomatoes, chiles, and onions.
2. Blend and cook
   • Scrape all of the roasted vegetables into a blender jar and blend until either a chunky or smooth purée forms (a
   smoother sauce works for when it is used for stews and a chunkier one when it is used as a dip or condiment).
   • Transfer vegetable purée to a Dutch oven. Stir in stock or water, remaining oil, curry powder, and Cameroon
   pepper. Bring to a simmer. Season lightly with salt, then simmer until sauce is reduced to a good stew-like
   thickness, about 1 hour. If desired, season with additional curry powder and/or Cameroon pepper to meet your
   desired flavor and spice level.

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