Obe ata — Yoruba pepper and tomato sauce

Wash tomatoes and peppers, remove pepper stems and seeds and chop. Use the lower chile range for a milder sauce and avoid touching eyes after handling. Blend with one onion, using only as much of the measured water as needed.

Finely chop the remaining onion. Warm palm oil over moderate heat; do not heat it until it smokes or bleach it. Cook the chopped onion until softened.

Add the blended vegetables carefully. Simmer about 20–30 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce reduces and the raw vegetable aroma fades. Add remaining measured water only as needed to keep it from catching.

Stir in vegetable bouillon and optional thyme. Simmer another 10–15 minutes, taste before adding salt and serve as six sauce portions. Optional meat, eggs and crayfish are omitted. Refrigerate leftovers promptly.