Garden egg sauce is a Nigerian dish made with eggplants, perfect with boiled plantains, yam, potatoes, Eko/Agidi, and white rice.
Here’s a simple recipe to make garden egg sauce without stress.
Ingredients:
- 6-10 white, off-white or green garden eggs (depending on the size)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3-5 fresh tomatoes, diced
- 2-3 tablespoons of palm oil
- 1-2 hot chili peppers (optional, for spice)
- Shredded smoked Mackerel fish, cooked fish or grounded crayfish (optional)
- Seasoning cubes and salt to taste
- 1 small ogiri okpei or iru (optional)
- Water
Kitchen equipment needed for the preparation of garden egg sauce
Blender
Or
Mortar and pestle
Instructions:
- Wash the garden eggs and cut the off the stems.
- Cut them into quarters or smaller pieces.
- Put the cut garden egg into a pot and add enough water to cover them.
- Leave it to boil for 15-20 minutes by then they would become soft.
- Once the garden egg is soft, drain the water and allow them to cool for few minutes.
- While the garden is cooling, heat the palm oil in a separate pot over medium heat.
- the diced onions to the heated palm oil and turn until the onion becomes clear.
8. Add the chopped tomatoes to the pot and cook until the tomatoes soften and release their juices.
- Add the boiled garden egg to the pot with the onion and tomatoes. Using a potato masher or fork, mash the garden egg into the tomato-onion mixture.
- If you’re using chilli peppers for spice, you can chop and add them at this stage.
- Add seasoning cubes and salt to taste
- Stir well to ensure the flavours are well-saturated.
Related Post: Cooking Egusi Soup via Boiling Method
- Add your iru or okpei.
- If you’re adding smoked fish, cooked fish or crayfish to the sauce, gently fold them inside the sauce.
- Let the sauce simmer for some minutes to allow the flavour to meld together.
- Once it is ready, you can then serve it alongside your favourite dish such as boiled yam, plantain, potatoes, white rice, or agidi/eko.
Conclusion
Garden egg sauce is a very versatile dish that can be enjoyed as a main meal or side dish. It’s a popular choice in Nigerian cuisine. You can adjust the ingredients and spice levels to your preference. Have fun making your homemade garden egg sauce and enjoy!
