Nigerian Stew Base in a bowl
Stew base is a term I coined several year back to desscribe the Nigerian blended pepper sauce. The Nigerian stew base is a combination of tatashe (paprika/bell pepper), onion, hot pepper and tomatoes. Some modern variants might include ginger and garlic, traditionally these items are not used. The stew base is versatile and used in a variety of recipes including stew, jollof rice, stewed beans etc.
In traditional application, the fresh ingredients are chopped, blended and then boiled. In 2015, I introduced the roasted stew base method which has since become a favourite across the internet. Below you will find 2 non traditional methods for the nigerian stew base. The Original recipe for the 9jafoodie style stew is here. I have tried several method over the years but this method adds additional dept to the stew that is not achievable by simply boiling the ingredients.
The recipe modification as indicated in the original post allows you to achieve the same consistency without roasting or boiling the peppers. This is method requires you to actually boil the ingredients briefly and then blend.
Nigerian Stew Video Recipe
Recipe Modification for those without an Oven:
Prepare the same ingredients as listed above
Direction:
- Place the sauce ingredients in a pot and add in 1 cup of water
- Place on Low-Medium heat and boil for 10 – 15Â minutes
- Pour boiled peppers into a strainer to remove any excess water. Puree to a smooth paste
- The resulting base will be thick and will require no further boiling. Enjoy!!
Alternatively: Place the ingredients in a pan, sprinkle with salt and pour over boiling water. allow to rest for 15-20 minutes. Strain and blend.
Can I add tomatoes to this or it has to be only bell peppers and onions?
The ingredients linked in the original recipe has tomatoes so yes! You can add that
How many cups of puree does this make?
I didn’t measure. your yield will also vary based on how dry the peppers are.
I’m thinking of grilling it on a stovetop grill since I don’t have an oven. I’ve tried the other method and it turned out great but I want a smoky taste too. Lol. I’ll report back….
Hi Ronke.
Thank you for the feedback, but did you mean bake then turn to broil over the last 10 mins because my oven has only two options for bake and broil, it doesn’t have roast. And is it okay if i use habanero peppers if i don’t have the hot peppers or scotch bonnet peppers? For the jollof rice, i have jasmine rice does that require the same time as the basmati or parboiled rice?
Yes bake then broil. Yes, habanero is fine. I wont suggest using Jasmine rice for jollof if you haven’t mastered basmati rice. Jasmine requires less water and less cook time.
How should I store the excess stew base?
Hi Ronke. I have a few questions about this method, My oven has only two options- bake and broil. which of the two should i use to roast the ingredients? How can i also prevent the tomatoes from burning, should i use some cooking spray to prevent them from sticking on the pan. And after everything is cooked and i blend the ingredients to puree do i add tomato paste while blending?
Hello there.
1) Use roast and switch to broil (this cooks the top) during the last 10 minutes of cooking
2) Cooking spray will help a bit. Tomato skin is prone to burning but you can peel it off before blending. Use parchment paper to line the tray to prevent sticking.
3) yes, add the paste while blending
9jafoodie aka Mrs Ronke
Thank u so much for releasing this recipe
All my life I hated making stew cos it always came out sour
I said I don’t know how to make stew
I tried this method..roasting d tomatoes n co
And dear sisters in the Lord
It came out lovely… the smell is beyond awesome.. and for once in my life I feel I ve accomplished this
Thank you so much
Awww this is great! thanks for the feedback.
Tried the roasted one out and it came out so nice…..Thanks…
awesome! thanks for the feedback.
It sure does!!! Thanks for this,Ronke.
You are welcome
Never thought of this idea does this method get rid of the sour taste?