Benin | Main dish

Amiwo

Name: Amiwo
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Benin, West Africa
Ingredients: 2 cups fine cornmeal; 4 medium tomatoes, blended; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 200 g crab meat, cleaned; 1 large onion, chopped; 2 cloves garlic, minced; ¼ cup palm oil or vegetable oil; 3 cups water, or chicken stock; salt, to taste; black pepper, to taste

A savoury red corn porridge cooked in a rich tomato and crab sauce. The cornmeal absorbs the tomato colour and flavour, turning a beautiful red-orange.

Country

Benin

Region

West Africa

Time

60 min

Serves

Level

medium

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01 / Get ready

Everything you need

Tap each ingredient as you gather it. Illustrations are visual guides; follow the ingredient names and quantities.

Servings 6

Scale the dish before you shop, then use the checklist while you cook.

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Ingredients

For 6 servings

Main dish

A few kitchen essentials

Suggested from the recipe method. Use equivalent equipment you have.

Lidded pot

Blender

Wooden spoon

02 / Let’s cook

One step at a time

Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.

Back to Benin

5 steps 20 min prep 40 min cook (check method) 60 min total medium

Make the tomato sauce

Heat oil, fry onion and garlic until soft. Add tomato paste and cook 3 minutes. Add blended tomatoes, salt, and black pepper, then cook until reduced and thick, about 15 minutes.

Cook sauce 15:00

Add crab

Add crab meat to the sauce and stir. Cook for 5 minutes.

Cook crab 05:00

Add cornmeal

Add 3 cups water to the sauce. Bring to a boil. Gradually sprinkle in cornmeal while stirring constantly to prevent lumps.

Cook the amiwo

Reduce heat to low. Stir continuously for 15-20 minutes until the cornmeal is cooked through and pulls away from the pot sides.

Kitchen noteThe colour should be a vibrant red-orange.

Cook amiwo 20:00

Serve

Shape into a mound on a plate. Serve with fried chicken or grilled fish.

Every household has small variations. Start here, then adjust seasoning, heat, and serving sides to your kitchen.

Cooking notes, photos & serving ideas

Recipe context

More about this dish

Serving ideas, regional context, and cooking cues for when you want more detail.

When to cook it

Best for Celebrations and ceremonies. Plan on a medium cook. Allow about 60 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Fried chicken or grilled fish

Regional lane

Benin national table. A structured Benin dish in the AfroKitchen archive.

Chef watch-outs

Rushing the base before the raw edge has cooked out.
Adding all seasoning early and forgetting to adjust at the end.
Cooking on heat that is too high once the dish should be steaming or simmering.

How you know it is ready

The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
Oil, sauce, broth, or steam should look settled and deliberate.
The final texture should match the dish style before you plate it.

Recipe photos

See the dish before you cook

Take a closer look at the dish and its serving ideas.

Amiwo recipe from Benin — Amiwo finished dish

Chef board

Build the table around Amiwo

Fried chicken or grilled fish

Best route from here

Benin national table

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