Description
A rich and flavorful Nigerian tomato stew essential for traditional West African cooking, perfect for pairing with various dishes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 kg beef, stewing beef, chuck, or a combination of beef and tripe (shaki)
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 2 seasoning cubes
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt to taste
- Water to cover
- 4 medium fresh tomatoes, or 400g canned chopped tomatoes
- 3 large red bell peppers (tatashe), deseeded and roughly chopped
- 2–4 scotch bonnet peppers, adjusted to heat preference
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped (half for blending, half for sautéing)
- 150–200ml vegetable or sunflower oil
- 2 additional seasoning cubes
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt to taste
- Reserved meat stock from cooking the beef
Instructions
- Season and cook the meat: Place the beef (and tripe if using) in a pot. Add the sliced onion, seasoning cubes, curry powder, thyme, and salt. Pour in enough water to just cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer and cook until the meat is tender.
- Optional: Fry the meat: Heat oil in a separate pan and fry cooked beef pieces until lightly browned. Set aside.
- Make the pepper blend: Add fresh tomatoes, red bell peppers, scotch bonnet, and half the chopped onion to a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Pre-cook the blend: Pour the blended pepper mix into a pot, bring to a boil over medium heat, and boil uncovered for 10–15 minutes.
- Fry the pepper base: Heat oil in a large pot, sauté the remaining onion for 3–4 minutes, then add the seasoning cubes, curry powder, and thyme. Stir in the pre-cooked pepper blend and fry for 20–25 minutes until the oil separates.
- Add the meat and stock: Stir in the cooked meat and add reserved meat stock gradually to achieve desired consistency.
- Simmer to finish: Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for a further 10–15 minutes, adjusting salt and seasoning as needed.
Notes
Proper frying is key to developing deep flavors; do not rush the frying stage.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 75 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stewing
- Cuisine: Nigerian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 90mg