Soya

Ingredients

Meat

• 800 gbeef sirloin or rump, well trimmed
• 2 tablespoonsgroundnut oil

Spice mix

• 150 groasted peanuts, or kuli-kuli
• 2 tablespoonsground ginger
• 1 tablespoongarlic powder
• 1 tablespoononion powder
• 2 tablespoonsground dried chilli, or to taste
• 1 teaspoonground white pepper
• 1stock cube, crumbled
• 1 teaspoonsalt

To serve

• 1large onion, sliced into rings
• 2tomatoes, sliced
• extra spice mix, in a small dish
• sliced fresh chilli, optional

Equipment

• thin flat skewers
• charcoal grill

Directions

1. Tip the ground peanuts out onto kitchen paper. Press another sheet on top to blot out surface oil. Repeat this until the paper stops darkening.
2. Combine the peanut powder with all the other spices. Mix them thoroughly in a bowl until the colour is even. Taste a pinch and adjust the chilli to your own tolerance. Street soya in Cameroon is properly hot.
3. Trim the beef of any sinew and heavy gristle. Put it in the freezer for twenty minutes to firm it up. Firm meat is far easier to slice thinly. Slice it across the grain into strips about half a centimetre thick. Cutting across the grain keeps the strips tender.
4. Rub the strips lightly with the groundnut oil. Oil helps the powder stick to the surface of the meat. Sprinkle about half the spice mix over the strips. Turn the meat through it until every piece is coated.
5. Use your hands and work the powder into the surface. Leave it to rest for an hour at room temperature. Skewering it takes a little practice to get right. Thread each strip onto a flat skewer in loose folds. Flat skewers stop the meat spinning when you turn it.
6. Let the charcoal burn until it is covered in grey ash. Lay the skewers directly over the hot coals. Grill them for two to three minutes on each side. The meat is thin and cooks very quickly indeed. Turn them once and take them off while still juicy. Overcooked soya is dry and stringy to eat. Take the skewers off the fire onto a board.
7. Dust them generously with more of the spice mix. It is the layer that makes the dish taste as it should. Wrap the skewers in paper as the vendors do. Pile sliced raw onion and tomato alongside. Set out a small dish of extra spice mix for dipping. Cold beer or a chilled soft drink is the usual accompaniment.

Technique

• Soya, Nigerian suya, and the versions sold in Chad, Niger and northern Ghana are all branches of the same Hausa grilling tradition.
• The spice mixes differ from vendor to vendor and most keep their exact blend private.

Substitutions

• Chicken and goat are both grilled the same way and sold from the same stalls.
• Sesame seeds ground fine are sometimes used to extend the peanut base, but they cannot replace it entirely.

Variations

• Soya beef is the standard.
• Some Cameroonian vendors sell soya made from liver or from offal at a lower price.
• A milder mix with less chilli is made for children.

History

Skewered grilled beef sold at night by Hausa and northern vendors, the Cameroonian branch of the same tradition as Nigerian suya.

Frequently asked questions

What is Soya?

Soya is a street food from Cameroon: spiced beef skewers grilled roadside at night. Skewered grilled beef sold at night by Hausa and northern vendors, the Cameroonian branch of the same tradition as Nigerian suya.

How long does Soya take to make?

Soya takes 30 minutes plus 1 hour resting of preparation and 15 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Soya?

Yes, within limits. Chicken and goat are both grilled the same way and sold from the same stalls. Sesame seeds ground fine are sometimes used to extend the peanut base, but they cannot replace it entirely.