Description
The basic of this stew is fresh tomatoes, fresh bell peppers, and onions. These fresh vegetables compliment each other to give this stew a distinctive taste. You can serve Nigerian red tomato stew with white rice, beans, or even add a dollop to Nigerian moi-moi.
Ingredients
- Chicken, beef or any other meat of choice. I used up 7 lbs of chicken and 3 lbs of beef
- 18 – 20 medium-size plum tomatoes (note: you will have about 12 cups of tomatoes/peppers blend after blending the fresh tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and garlic).
- 2 big red bell peppers
- 2 habaneros.
- 2 big bulbs of onions; 1½ for the blend; ½ for sautéing
- 5 cloves of garlic to add to the blend
- 13 (oz.) or 340g canned tomato paste
- 2 pair of knorr cubes or 1 tablespoon of knorr bouillon powder
- 3 cubes of Maggi or another 1 tablespoon Knorr Bouillon powder
- 1 cup of peanut oil (for this amount of stew you do need up to this amount of oil)
- 2 tablespoon of salt (or less. Always add salt according to your taste/health need)
- 1 tablespoon of curry powder
- 1 teaspoon of (Nigerian) ground red pepper or any Chili peppers
- 1 teaspoon of dry thyme
- 1-teaspoon nutmeg
- 4 cups of homemade chicken broth or store bought broth
- 1 cup of water (optional but necessary)
Instructions
- Boil, and fry chicken and beef meat; set aside. You can air the chicken and beef after boiling if you have an air fryer!
- Add tomatoes, onions, fresh bell pepper, and garlic in the blender and blend away. Ensure that the blend is up 12 cups (wow, that sounds like a lot; yep!) Cut/slice the other half of the onion and set aside.
- Open the can of tomatoes paste, put it into a bowl and add 2 cups of chicken broth, mix well and set aside.
- Place a clean pot on the stove, set your stove to medium-high. Add oil, allow to heat up then add 1 teaspoon of salt and chopped onions. Sauté onions until translucent, about 3-5 minutes depending on the quantity. After the onions are ready add the tomato blend, give a good stir and place the lid on the pot.
- Allow to cook for about 20 – 25 minutes depending on the quantity of the tomatoes. Ensure to stir every 5-7 minutes as it is cooking to avoid burning; also, lower heat before opening the lid to avoid hot splashes.
- After the said time, stir very well, and add the remaining ingredients: the already mixed tomato paste and chicken broth, ground red pepper, dry thyme, nutmeg, Maggi, and Knorr cubes, curry powder, and the remaining salt, mix very well and cover the pot to cook for another 25-30 minutes.
- Add the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth after the said time, and stir again. You may also add additional one cup of water if you do not wish to have a very thick stew. Cover, turn the heat up to medium and allow to cook for 10 more minutes.
- After 10 minutes, reduce the heat, and open the pot; then gently add the already fried chicken/meat. Ensure that the chicken/meat and stew combines very well, taste for flavor (and add more so salt, pepper or Maggi if so desire.)
- Allow to simmer for additional 10 – 12 minutes on low – medium heat, and your Nigerian tomato stew is ready. Serve with rice or any other thing.
Notes
Always add salt to your preference.
I do not add crayfish to this very Nigerian stew. But you can add if you wish.
Total cook time does not include the time used to prepare the meat.
I suggest preparing your chicken/meat ahead of time (chicken preparation includes boiling and frying or air frying). Instead of frying the chicken/meat, you could bake or air fry. My favorite way is currently air frying the chicken/meat after boiling. Also, use amount of meat you want.
See this recipe card as a guide; this video shows how to make this Nigerian stew from scratch. However, feel free to tweak it to make your preferences or diet choice.
You can use any meat of your choice.
Finally, you can make a small amount of stew. I only batch-make it, so I make this stew 3-4 times a year! Feel free to reduce to suit your situation.
Please remember that cooking involves making decisions and using what you eat/enjoy!
You can add your favorite herbs, spices, and condiments to this stew. For instance, I used plum tomatoes; you can use another type of tomatoes.
