🇧🇯 Beninese Cuisine

Adjagbede

Crab in Tomato Sauce

Prep Time 25 min

Servings 4

Difficulty Medium

Calories 342 kcal

Fresh crabs simmered in a spicy tomato and onion sauce seasoned with garlic, ginger, and scotch bonnet. A beloved coastal dish from the lagoon towns of southern Benin.

Ingredients

8 fresh crabs cleaned
4 tomatoes blended
2 onions chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 inch ginger grated
1 scotch bonnet pepper
3 tbsp vegetable oil
salt to taste
1 cup water

Instructions

1 Clean crabs thoroughly, removing gills and rinsing well.
2 Heat oil in a large pot, saute onions, garlic, and ginger until fragrant.
3 Add blended tomatoes and cook for 15 minutes until reduced.
4 Add crabs and water, place scotch bonnet on top.
5 Cover and simmer 25 minutes until crabs are bright red and sauce is thick.

Did You Know?

In the lagoon city of Ganvie, known as the Venice of Africa, fresh crabs for adjagbede are caught right beneath the stilt houses.