· 2 min read
Ewa agoyin is a Lagos favourite of mashed beans and a dark, smoky pepper sauce. Here’s what it is and what to eat with it.
Ewa agoyin is a bean dish from Lagos, where it’s sold as street food in the morning. It’s one of the bean dishes on our menu.
What it is
Ewa agoyin has two parts. The first is beans, cooked until very soft and mashed, with little seasoning. The second is the sauce: dried red peppers and a lot of onions, fried slowly in palm oil until the sauce turns very dark. The sauce is smoky, oily and hot, and a small amount goes a long way.
“Ewa” means beans in Yoruba. “Agoyin” is the name Lagosians used for sellers from the neighbouring Republic of Benin, who were known for this dish.
What to eat with it
In Lagos, ewa agoyin is often eaten with soft white bread or fried plantain. On our menu, our bean dishes come with a choice of fried beef, assorted or fish, and plantain is £1.00 extra. We’d add the plantain: the sweet dodo and the hot sauce go well together.
Other bean dishes on our menu
We also cook mashed beans and plain beans, and rice and beans. Our guide to beans on the menu explains the difference.
Try it
Hungry?
See what’s on our menu, book a table at 13 Pier Road, or order for collection or delivery.