After Jollof rice, the next most popular dish in West Africa has gotta be the red stew. The way it is made varies from one part to another within the West, today’s recipe describes the Nigerian way of making it.
This is one stew that is paired with almost anything – rice, plantains, beans, swallow etc. It is almost impossible for a meal-prepping Nigerian to not have a bowl of red stew in the fridge, it is an essential part of our cuisine.
Its popularity explains the myriad of recipes online but permits an authentic West African (yours truly) to show you how it is made.
Nigerian Red Stew can be paired with Homemade Peri Peri Chicken Wings. Take time to also learn How to Make Nigerian Fish Pepper Soup .
What is African Red Stew?
It is called ‘red’ because of its colour. The colour is a result of the pepper combinations used in the recipe. You must stick to the recipe to get the desired results which should be somewhere in between savoury, mildly spicy and sweet.
How to Make Nigerian Red Stew
This recipe in particular uses fried beef cuts, cow skin and tripe, but red stew can be made with any type of protein. That being said, the cooking time and process may vary depending on the protein used.
A good example would be fish. You might need to cook the stew and be almost completely done before adding in the fish. This is different with hard chicken, beef or goat meats.
Explore other savoury recipes such as Nigerian Jollof Rice and Ghanaian Jollof Rice.
As I have established, the most important part of making the red stew is the pepper mix. These are toasted in the oven, blended and fried in seasoned oil. Broth is a very essential part of making this stew, it amplifies the flavour and takes it to a whole other level of deliciousness.
Another important part is ensuring to fry your meats in the same oil that’ll be used for the stew, the meats release their flavour to the oil. Again, this may be different if using certain types of fish that disintegrate easily. Sign up to be notified when a subsequent post of fish stew is posted on the blog.
Switch it up with this recipe on How to Make Thieboudienne (Senegalese Jollof Rice)
West African Red Stew Ingredients
Some of the ingredients you will need for this stew include:
Pepper Mix
Combine tomatoes, red bell peppers and scotch bonnets. To prevent sourness, your ratio of tomatoes to red bell peppers should be 20:80. Red bell peppers are the star of this show; asides its added sweetness, it is also responsible for the thickness and vibrant red colour this stew is known for. To achieve the ultimate taste, you should roast the peppers and onions in the oven before blending.
Oil
We are not picky when it comes to the choice of oil; vegetable, peanut, sesame, olive, use whichever type suits you.
Protein
To achieve the hearty taste I was looking for in my stew, I used thick cow skin, beef cuts and tripe. They were seasoned well and boiled before frying. Remember it is very essential that you save your broth for the stew.
A pro tip for getting the best-tasting stew is slow cooking and low heat. After adding your protein, reduce the heat and let it cook for at least 30 minutes with the pot lid slightly open.
This allows the stew to continue the frying process whilst infusing its flavour into the meats. Some people also add boiled eggs for added variety. This can be paired with white rice, plain beans, plantains, yams etc.
West African Red Stew
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lbs beef cuts
- 1 lb cow skin
- 2 lbs beef tripe
- 4 large red bell peppers
- 2 scotch bonnets
- 2 tomatoes
- 4 white or red onions
- 1½ cups beef broth
- 2 cups vegetable oil
- Beef bouillon
- Salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Deseed your red bell peppers and scotch bonnets. Cut the peppers, tomatoes and 2 onions into smaller chunky pieces and spread on a baking sheet. Transfer to roast in the oven for 40 mins.
- Rinse your meats thoroughly, ensure to cut off any loose fat. Transfer to a large pot.
- Chop up one onion, add into the pot of meats, season with beef bouillon, salt and any other seasoning of choice.
- Let the meats steam for 10 mins on medium heat, this will allow the meats release their juices and that will amp up the flavour.
- Add a cup of water into the meats and keep on cooking for 15 mins or till it is tender enough for you, drain and save your beef broth.
- In another large pot, add the 2 cups of vegetable oil, heat up to 350F. Toss in your boiled meats and let them fry till brown on all sides.
- While the meats are frying, take out the roasted peppers and transfer into your blender to be blended until smooth.
- Take out the fried meats and set aside to drain.
- Chop up the last onion and add into the oil, let fry till fragrant.
- Go in with the blended peppers and beef broth. Let it cook for 10 mins.
- Adjust the seasoning and then add in the fried meats, reduce the heat from medium to low, leave the pot lid slightly open and let it continue frying for another 20 mins. This slow frying of the stew is what allows it get its unique taste and flavour.
- When the oil has risen to the surface of the stew, it is ready.
