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Nigerian Beef Stew

Nigerian Beef Stew is the cornerstone of Nigerian home cooking — the deeply fried, richly seasoned tomato and pepper stew made with tender beef that is eaten with rice, yam, bread and virtually every other Nigerian starchy staple. It is the first dish a Nigerian cook learns to make and the last dish they will ever stop making.

Nigerian Beef Stew, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • 1 big piece of beef (approximately a big piece), cut into medium chunks
  • 5 big ripe tomatoes, blended
  • 3 Tatashe (red bell peppers), blended
  • 3 Atarodo (hot chilli peppers), blended
  • 1 big onion — half blended with peppers, half sliced
  • 3 cooking spoons of vegetable oil
  • 2 big handfuls of ground crayfish
  • 3 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
  • 1 teaspoon of curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon of thyme
  • Salt to taste

Method

  1. 01

    Seasoning and Cooking the Beef. Season beef with 1 seasoning cube, curry, thyme and salt. Cook in water with sliced onion for 25 to 30 minutes until tender. Remove beef and reserve stock.

  2. 02

    Frying the Pepper Base. Heat oil in a wide pot over medium-high heat. Add remaining sliced onion and fry 2 minutes. Pour in blended tomatoes, Tatashe, Atarodo and onion. Fry vigorously for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until deeply cooked and oil floats clearly on top.

  3. 03

    Adding the Beef. Add the cooked beef to the pepper base. Add ground crayfish, remaining seasoning cubes, curry and salt. Add a ladle of the beef stock. Stir well. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the beef has absorbed the flavours and the stew is thick, rich and coating the meat.

  4. 04

    Final Taste. Taste and adjust all seasonings. The stew should be deep red-orange, bold, slightly oily on the surface and deeply satisfying.

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