How to make Dry Nigerian Stew

A fresh look at Nigerian Stew…

There are dishes or sauces that have come to be a must have in a Nigerian woman’s kitchen and that is the Nigerian dry Stew. Stews come in different texture and taste profile. Whilst some people like to season the stew with over 4 spices some others will like to remain simple and go without any spices.

In the southwest it is quite common to see stew being served with plain boiled Okro or even with Egusi soup.

In the southeast of Nigeria however where soups are more predominant the art of cooking stews is still not generally perfected. A number of relations have asked to learn how to cook tasty stew, so here is to those people still struggling to serve up great tasting Nigerian stew.

The outcome and taste of any stew also depends on the quantities of tomato, pepper, and onion used and how these veggies are treated. The general practice is to blend the tomato, pepper and onion boil and use. Others will fry the blended mix straight after blending. The challenge with the last method is that frying time is then longer as the oil prevents the water from evaporating fast.

The type of tomato and pepper used could also affect the final taste of the stew.

Today I am sharing a version of treating the veggies that I discovered recently. The texture of the paste is so bulky and nice and the outcome of the stew is simply amazing

I basically wash, dress and boil the tomato, pepper and onion whole, allow to cool then blend. Since discovering this method I have not gone back to other methods. My explanation for this nice texture is that all the pepper and tomato seeds are softer and therefore blend into the paste very well. Also the veggies boil in their juice and so retain the great taste.

To save cooking time for your stews keep your blended pastes in cooking portion bowls or nylon bags in the freezer. You can easily estimate the quantity you need per time so store in that quantity rather than in big bowls so you don’t have to freeze and defrost each time you want to cook.

Enjoy your stew.

 

Recipe for Nigerian Dry Stew

Assorted beef parts

12 – 14 pieces Tomato

6 pieces Tatashe (deseeded)

Scotch Bonnet Pepper to taste (fresh pepper)

2 whole medium size Onion (1 for blending, 1 for chopping)

1/2 teaspoon curry

1/4 teaspoon thyme

2 pieces Garlic cloves

3/4 cup Groundnut oil of any vegetable oil of choice.

Seasoning cubes to taste

Method

1. Wash and season the meats with pepper, a little onion, garlic, beef seasoning and salt. Allow to marinade for about 30 minutes. Cook meat until soft. You may wish to fry the meat or use in stew just boiled
2. Whilst meat is marinating or even before then wash the veggies, deseed the Tatashe, wash and cut 1 onion into big chunks. Place in a pot without water and stem in the juice of the vegetables. You may just want to pierce the tomatoes initially to release juices that will help cook the vegetables.
3. Allow the vegetables to cool and blend into a paste
4. Heat up the oil, add chopped onion and fry till onion is translucent. Add the vegetable paste, curry, thyme, meat stock and seasoning cube and fry till oil floats on top of the paste.
5. Pour in the meat and cook for another 10 minutes so that the stew flavor is well absorbed into the meat. Taste and correct for seasoning and salt. Cook for 2 more minutes.
6. Serve with rice or any carb of choice

Cooking Tips: If you are using the entrails of beef remove as much of the visible fat as possible. This helps to protect your blood vessels from getting blocked and therefore prevents heart-related diseases.