{{Infobox food | name = Obe ata | image = Eko ati obe ata.jpg | alt = Obe ata | caption = Eko and Obe Ata | type = Soup | place_of_origin = South West (Nigeria) | region = Yoruba people | served = Warm | main_ingredient = *Fresh tomatoes *Red bell peppers *Protein of choice *Vegetable oil or Palm oil | minor_ingredient = *Onions }} {{Short description|Traditional stew/soup of the Yoruba people}} '''Obe ata''' (Yoruba: ''Ọbẹ ata'') is a stew or sauce used in Yoruba cuisine and meals found in Nigeria, Benin and Togo. In concept, it is similar to that of French mother sauces: a sauce from which other sauces are made, or to the Mexican mole.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Komolafe |first=Yewande |author-link=Yewande Komolafe |date=2019-06-24 |title=Yewande Komolafe’s 10 Essential Nigerian Recipes |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/24/dining/nigerian-food-yewande-komolafe.html |access-date=2023-09-22 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=2023-09-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920073138/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/24/dining/nigerian-food-yewande-komolafe.html |url-status=live }}</ref> It can be used as the base with which Jollof rice is made, either at the initial or near prepared state.<ref name=":0" /> Plain cooked rice, yam and bread are also eaten with it. In Nigerian cooking the sauce is "ubiquitous".<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Dorsey |first=Jenny |date=2 August 2022 |title=Obe Ata (Nigerian Red Pepper Sauce) Recipe |url=https://www.seriouseats.com/obe-ata-nigerian-red-pepper-sauce |access-date=2023-09-22 |website=Serious Eats |language=en |archive-date=2023-08-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230830195753/https://www.seriouseats.com/obe-ata-nigerian-red-pepper-sauce |url-status=live }}</ref> thumb|Obe ata with Nigerian fried rice and dodo It is also eaten as a general stew or sauce with white rice (and other rice dishes) or as a dip for bread, yam, chips, or fries.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Odebode |first=Gabi |title=Obe Ata |url=https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/obe-ata-13351648 |access-date=2023-09-22 |website=Food Network |language=en |archive-date=2023-10-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231007124355/https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/obe-ata-13351648 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":1" />
== Overview == Obe ata is made from tomatoes, a variety of peppers, onions, oil, stock and spices like thyme, garlic, ginger. Obe ata stews have several recipes that require iru as well, or bay leaves and curry powder depending on the flavour profile. Some recipes call for dried or powdered crayfish.<ref name=":1" />
The tomatoes, peppers and onions are pureed together and then sauteed in oil,<ref name=":0" /> often groundnut oil or palm oil, depending on the flavour the cook is going for. Red palm oil, an unrefined oil with a sweet taste, is specified in some recipes.<ref name=":1" /> Spices and other flavorings are added as it sautees.<ref name=":0" /> The finished product is lightly spicy and savory.<ref name=":1" /> Most cooks use fresh tomatoes, some use canned and some use a mix of both. Some roast the tomatoes, peppers, and onions before pureeing.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />
A cousin sauce is ata din din (Yoruba) which is more a spicy concentrated stew.<ref name=":1" /> There are other Yoruba stews and variations as well, including ofada sauce/stew, ayamase, agoyin sauce, buka stew, and omi obe, among others.
Obe is also the general name for soups made from vegetables and seeds in Yoruba culture; some if these soups or obe will be considered sauces in standard English. Obe is usually eaten with okele but can be eaten with rice too. Some obe include egusi, efo, marugbo, apon, ila, ewedu, gbegiri, ila-alasepo, and ilasa.<ref>{{Cite web |last=admin |date=2023-10-27 |title=Top 10 Most Loved Yoruba Soup |url=https://bigmamaspices.ng/yoruba-soup/ |access-date=2026-05-27 |website=Big Mama Spices |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-06-23 |title=Yoruba Soup Varieties - Awon Obe Ile Yoruba |url=https://www.yorubalibrary.com/forum/articles/2024/july/09/traditional_soup.html |access-date=2026-05-27 |website=www.yorubalibrary.com |language=en}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
Category:Yoruba cuisine Category:West African cuisine Category:Stews Category:Tomato sauces {{Nigeria-cuisine-stub}}