Recipe · Yado Market Blog
Ewa agoyin (also spelled ewa aganyin) is Lagos street food at its best: soft, mashed honey beans topped with a dark, smoky pepper sauce fried in palm oil, eaten with soft Agege bread [1]. Here's how to make both the beans and the famous agoyin sauce at home.
Quick answer: how to make ewa agoyin
- Pick, rinse and soak honey beans, then boil until very soft (1 to 1.5 hours) and mash.
- Blend dried peppers and onion into a coarse paste.
- Fry lots of sliced onion in palm oil until dark, then fry the pepper paste 20 to 30 minutes.
- Spoon the sauce over the beans and serve with Agege bread.
2 hrs
Total time
6
Servings
2 cups
Dry beans
Smoky
Signature sauce
Shop the ingredients
Everything for Ewa Agoyin
In stock in Chicago, with pickup at 1651 E 87th St or shipping across the U.S.
The beans
Honey Beans (Ewa Oloyin) 10 lb
Sweet, soft Nigerian honey beans (ewa oloyin): the classic choice.
Shop · $32.99
The bread
Oluade Agege Special Bread
Soft, chewy Agege-style bread, the traditional partner.
Shop · $12.99
Know your dish
What Is Ewa Agoyin?
Ewa means beans in Yoruba. Ewa agoyin is a dish of well-cooked, mashed beans served with a spicy, smoky sauce of dried peppers, onions and palm oil [1]. It's sold by street vendors in Lagos, especially in the morning, and is also popular in Benin and Togo [1]. The sauce is the star: lots of onion is fried in palm oil until very dark, which gives it a deep, slightly sweet taste.
What Are Honey Beans (Ewa Oloyin)?
Honey beans are a small, light-brown Nigerian bean, a type of cowpea, the same family as black-eyed peas [2]. Oloyin means "has honey" in Yoruba: they taste naturally sweet and cook up soft and creamy, which is exactly what you want for ewa agoyin. Black-eyed peas also work [1].
Ingredients
What You Need (Serves 6)
For the beans
- 2 cups honey beans (ewa oloyin)
- 1 small onion, sliced, and salt to taste
- Water
For the agoyin sauce
- 1 cup red palm oil
- 3 large onions: 2 sliced thin, 1 for blending
- 8 to 10 dried red chilies (or 2 tbsp dried chili flakes), soaked in hot water, plus 2 dried bell peppers if you have them
- 1 tbsp ground crayfish (optional)
- 1 to 2 Maggi cubes and salt to taste
Step by step
How to Make Ewa Agoyin
Cook the beans first. Make the sauce while they boil.
1. Pick & soak
Pick out any stones or bad beans, rinse well and soak in water for 1 to 2 hours (or overnight).
2. Boil
Boil the beans in fresh water with a little onion for 1 to 1.5 hours, topping up with hot water, until they crush easily between your fingers.
3. Mash
Add salt, cook 5 more minutes, then mash with a spoon or potato masher until soft and creamy. Leave some texture.
4. Blend
Drain the soaked chilies and blend them with 1 onion and a little water into a coarse paste.
5. Fry the onions
Heat the palm oil gently, add the sliced onions and fry low and slow for 15 to 20 minutes until very dark brown (not burnt).
6. Fry the sauce
Add the pepper paste, crayfish and Maggi. Fry on low, stirring often, for 20 to 30 minutes until dark and the oil floats on top.
The secret
How to Get That Dark, Smoky Agoyin Sauce
Go dark on the onions
The deep brown onions give the sauce its color and sweetness. Low heat and patience.
Use dried peppers
Dried chilies, not fresh tomatoes, give agoyin its smoky taste and dark color.
Bleaching palm oil?
Some cooks heat the palm oil until it turns pale before frying. It's very smoky: only do it with a lid, an open window and the fan on. Frying the onions dark gets you most of the flavor safely.
Make a big batch
The sauce keeps 1 week in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer. Reheat a spoon at a time.
Shop the meal
What to Eat With Ewa Agoyin
Agege bread is the classic. Fried plantain (dodo) or garri also go well.
Good to know
Is Ewa Agoyin Healthy?
Beans are a good source of plant protein and fiber [2]. The sauce uses a lot of palm oil, so if you're watching fat, serve a smaller spoon of sauce over a bigger portion of beans.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ewa agoyin in English?
Mashed beans with a spicy, smoky pepper sauce. Ewa means beans in Yoruba.
Which beans are best for ewa agoyin?
Nigerian honey beans (ewa oloyin) are the favorite because they are sweet and mash easily. Black-eyed peas also work [1].
Is ewa agoyin spicy?
Usually, yes: the sauce is made from dried chilies. Use fewer chilies or remove the seeds for a milder sauce.
How long do honey beans take to cook?
About 1 to 1.5 hours on the stove after soaking, or about 20 to 25 minutes in a pressure cooker. They should crush easily.
Why is my agoyin sauce not dark?
The onions weren't fried long enough, or you used fresh peppers. Fry the onions until deep brown and use dried chilies.
Where can I buy honey beans in Chicago?
At Yado Market, 1651 E 87th St, Chicago. Pick up in store or order online for U.S. shipping.
Ready to Make Ewa Agoyin?
Honey beans, palm oil and Agege bread are all at our Chicago store. Pick up today or order online.