Buka Nigerian

Nigerian food with Lookman & Abiodun Afolayan, owners of Buka in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn.

 

“Buka is a street slang in Nigeria that means local joint.”

“We saw an opportunity to actually bring Nigerian to the world, because there's nothing close — The egusi, the amola, the okra soup, the palava. There's nothing comparable.”

 

The Food

At Buka, Lookman and Afolayan made me a selection of some of their best dishes.

Jollof Rice

West African rice pilau made with a tomato and pepper-based sauce. The dish originated in the Senegambian region (present-day Senegal) so you'll see versions of the dish across West Africa. 

 

Goat Pepper Soup

Spicy braised goat with fresh herbs in a thin but flavorful broth that really packs a punch.

“The way I cook goat, it will take all the rocket science in France to make the goat have the same flavor as mine will have....I clean my goat, put onions, Jamaican pepper, curry, salt. No water. Just rinse it. Then you cover it up. Then you allow it to take time…So by the time it's finished, you will have the flavor to the bone.”

 

Egusi

Ground melon seeds steamed with spinach, palm oil, and dried fish. The soft, smoky stew pairs beautifully with fufu.

“Egusi isn't just anything. Egusi back home is a big deal. It's luxury. These are meals that our forefathers have enjoyed over time.”

 

Fufu

Starchy side made from pounded yam whose texture is a cross between mochi and mashed potatoes.

Fufu is a type of "swallow" or starchy side used to accompany soups and stews. There are several different names, depending on the starch. Eba is made from garri which is ground cassava, amala uses dried fermented yams, or sometimes plantains. 

 

 

“I tell people, I don't run a West African restaurant, I run a Nigerian restaurant. If I'm here to eat pounded yam and egusi, I want to give every customer that mental trip back home. That is the experience, so that two, three days after, they’re still talking about it.”