25 TIPS FOR COOKING A PERFECT NIGERIAN TOMATO STEW
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Tip 1: When frying your tomato, you need more than enough vegetable oil, so that the tomato will not burn until all the sour taste is gone and the water has dried from the tomatoes. You can pour out the excess oil when the tomatoes are well fried. Note, if you don't have enough vegetable oil, your stew will have a sour taste and it will burn, even if you stand there stirring frantically and why worry, when you will pour out the excess oil when you are done.
Tip 2: Note, there are some species of tomatoes that, no matter the degrees of boiling them after blending, they will call you a bad cook. Fresh plum tomatoes are the best for the Nigerian tomato stew because, all the other types of tomatoes either have lots of seeds or contain lots of water. Roma tomatoes are very similar to plum tomatoes.
Tip 3: The excess vegetable oil you will pour out from the stew is red in colour, hence it is perfect for cooking your egusi soup, okro soup and ogbono soup, rice, beans, etc. Once the oil has cool down, put it in the fridge or freezer, because it will get bad if left on the kitchen counter for long.
Tip 4: Tinned tomato paste and puree. The tinned tomato paste sold in Nigeria is usually very thick and concentrated. If you try to fry this tomato paste as is it, it will burn straight away, unless you are using enough vegetable oil. What is normally done is to add some cold water to it, to bring it to the softer consistency but, if you are using tomato puree, don't add in water to mix it. Note that, adding little water to mix your tinned tomato is optional.
Tip 5. Whenever you are making your stew, tinned tomato is always added first, before adding your boiled, blended tomato mixture.
Tip 6: The general practice is to blend/grind the tomatoes, peppers, and onions, boil and use for frying, while some will fry the blended/ground tomatoes mixture straight without boiling it. The challenge with the last method is that, frying time is more longer, as the oil prevents the water from evaporating fast.
Tip 7: It is best to marinate your meat/chicken before steaming them with the necessary Ingredients for up to 30 minutes, because it will allow the ingredients to enter the meat properly and add more taste to it.
Tip 8: It will take up to 40 to 45 minutes to cook your stew properly.
Tip 9: You can use any meat, chicken, turkey or fish of your choice to cook your tomato stew.
Tip 10: Make sure you cook/fry your stew on medium to low heat.
Tip 11: Note that, Tinned tomato is optional to making your stew. You can make the stew only with fresh tomatoes or you can also cook the stew only with tinned tomato, but If you want to use the stew to cook your Jollof rice, tinned tomato is very good for it, because of the red beautiful colour it gives to the stew.
Tip 12: Tatashe/shombo (Nigerian bell pepper) is also used to improve the redness of the tomato stew.
Tip 13: Blending and boiling your tomato mixture does 2 things.
1. It reduces the acidity of the tomatoes thus, reducing the cooking time in final stewing step.
2. It helps the stew fry better by cooking off the water. This can also be achieved by just sieving the blended tomatoes and draining the water.
Tip 14: When steaming your meat, do not completely cook the meat, because you will complete the cooking process in the final stew making.
Tip 15: Whenever you are frying your onion, let the onion brown a bit, but do not allow it to get burnt because it will give your stew a burnt taste.
Tip 16: Whenever you are boiling your blended tomatoes mixture, do not boil for long and empty your gas, because the excess water can also be drained out with a sieve.
Tip 17: You can blend the tomatoes mixture before boiling them or you can boil the tomatoes mixture before blending them. Whenever, you are using the method of boiling before blending, in case there is still water after blending, you can still boil it a little again before frying it.
Tip 18: Did you know that, adding little crayfish can do wonder to your tomatoes stew.
Tip 19: Tinned tomato can be used in cooking the tomatoes stew in 3 ways.
1. Your tinned tomato could be added to the blended tomatoes mixture or
2. Boil with the the blended tomatoes mixture or
3. It can be fry, without adding it to any mixtures.
Tip 20: Never use your raw meat, chicken, turkey or fish to cook your stew without steaming them first of all.
Tip 21: Whenever, you are cooking your stew, always taste the stew before adding salt and stock cube, so as not to add excess, due to the added meat stock that already have salt and stock cubes.
Tip 22: A good way to Know if your stew is ready, is when the colour is deep red and the oil rises up to the top of the stew.
Tip 23: When frying your stew, it will get a sour taste, if you don't fry it long enough.
Tip 24: You can use your steamed meat or chicken to cook your stew, even without frying or grilling them, but it is best if you fry/grill them, before using them to cook the stew. If you want your stew to last up to two days without warming it, always make sure, you fry your chicken, meat or fish properly, before putting them in the stew.
Tip 25: You can substitute your vegetable oil to palm oil, when making your Nigerian tomato stew.
Tomato stew making tips is written by: Food Research Kitchen
Photo Credit:Owners//Food Research Kitchen
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