Nigerian Tomato Stew

Tomato stew is one of the most popular stew recipes from Nigeria, it is easy to make and I would include this recipe on my list of “easy Nigerian foods”.

Reason for this would be that the ingredients needed could be found in almost every part of the world and almost anybody can make this stew in just about 90 minutes.

Nigerian tomato stew

At the bottom of this page, you will find the video for tomato stew.

What you have above is a large bowl of tomato stew, every thing you read below is exactly how I made this stew.

I promised to take you through the guide on how to lose the sour taste of tomatoes easily.

Most people end up with tomato stew that has soured taste, it is a very common mistake that can easily be avoided.

I am going to show you how to eliminate that taste, at least the way I go about it.

Ingredients For Making Nigerian Tomato stew (like I always say, these ingredients could be doubled or reduced depending on the number of people you are looking to feed and their stomach size).

Complete Ingredients For Tomato Stew

2 KG Goat meat.
1500 ml Ground tomatoes.
Ground Fresh Red Pepper.
1 cup of sliced onions.
Teaspoon of ground nutmeg.
teaspoon each of curry and thyme.
Half teaspoon ground ginger
Half teaspoon ground garlic
Vegetable (optional)(curry leaves, pumpkin leaves etc)
400 ml Vegetable oil.
3 Stock cubes.
2 tbsp Crayfish.
Salt to taste.
1 tsp beef seasoning spice

ingredients stew

The image above is that of fresh tomatoes, pre-cooked goat meat, curry leaves, peppers, and about 400ml of oil

Preparation

Wash the tomatoes and blend alongside the fresh pepper, also blend the crayfish alongside the nutmeg seed (1).

Slice the onion and set aside. You need 1 cup of sliced onions.

Wash the meat (Goat meat in my case) and parboil with three stock cubes, a teaspoon of salt, teaspoon each of curry and thyme and half cup of sliced onions.

Also sprinkle a teaspoon of your favorite beef spice.

(I like to use lots of ingredients while parboiling the meat and then use little or none while making the real foods.

This practice is necessary if you want to end up with very tasty meats.

Beside you can then use the meat stock [water from the meat] for the main cooking.

parboiling meat

Cook until the meat is soft enough for consumption

How to Make Tomato Stew

STEP 1
Most times I chose to fry the tomatoes in a frying pan separately and then add it to the cooked meat in the pot.

STEP 2
Set your frying pan on heat.

Add 400 ml of vegetable oil. Add the sliced onions and fry for about 2 minutes to release the scent into the oil.

frying

STEP 3

Then pour in the ground tomatoes/pepper and fry (stirring occasionally to avoid burning).
ground tomato

This is just where most people miss it, have you made a tomato stew with sour taste? You can correct that now.

The secret to loosing the sour taste is just by frying with lots of oil (which could be reduced after frying) and then the use of onions.

STEP 4
You have to keep stirring for the next 20-30 minute, you don’t wanna end up with burned tomato stew.

frying tomato

Fry till the tomatoes boils in oil alone. Then you can transfer the pre-cooked meat… plus the stock.

A teaspoon each of this ground spices (ginger and garlic).

cooking stew

Stir.

STEP 5
Add extra stock cube (optional), add the ground crayfish/nutmeg and allow to cook for ten minutes.

Taste for salt

Add Vegetables?

If you are using vegetable, you can add it now, allow to simmer for 3 minutes are you are done with making tomato stew.

vegetable

This is how to make tomato stew, it could be served as you see below or with yam, beans, I even eat bread and stew often – it is delicious.

rice and tomato stew

Tomato Stew Recipe

Stew Recipe | How to Make Tomato Stew

Chef Chidi
Tomato stew recipe is one of the most popular recipes for stews from Nigeria. This one is easy and could be made in just 80 minutes.
4.82 from 11 votes
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Nigerian Cuisine
Servings 12 People
Calories 368 kcal

Equipment

  • Pots

Ingredients
  

  • 2 KG Goat meat.
  • 1500 ml Ground tomatoes.
  • 50 ml Ground Fresh Red Pepper.
  • 1 cup of sliced onions.
  • tsp of ground nutmeg.
  • tsp each of curry and thyme.
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground garlic
  • Handful vegetable curry leaves
  • 400 ml Vegetable oil.
  • 3 Stock cubes.
  • 2 tbsp Crayfish.
  • Salt to taste.
  • 1 tsp beef seasoning spice

Instructions
 

  • Blend the tomatoes, crayfish and nutmeg. Blend the peppers too.
  • Precook the meat and set aside
  • Set your frying pan on heat, add the oil and fry the tomatoes/peppers once it is heated.
  • If you don't want your tomatoes getting burned or turning dark, you want to keep stirring for the next 20-25 minutes.
  • Once the tomatoes/peppers are well fried, add a teaspoon each of this spices (ginger and garlic).
  • The cooked meat and stock should follow.
  • Add the ground crayfish/ nutmeg, stir and allow to cook for ten minutes.
  • Taste for salt and add one seasoning cube.
  • Add the curry leaves used as vegetables, allow to simmer for 3 minutes and you are done.
  • In Nigeria, we serve stew and white boiled rice together.

Video

Keyword Nigerian cooking, Stew Recipe, tomato stew

Here is a video for making Nigerian tomato stew, follow this step by step video guide I suppose it would give you a visual image of all the things I said above.

Learn more about other Nigerian stew Recipes, you can start with Nigerian Banga tew (ofe akwu)
Compare Tomato Stew & All Nigerian Foods

How To Prepare Yam Sauce

How To Make Yoruba Foods

How to Make River state Native Soup

80 Comments

Jessica
Reply

It was very useful thanks alot

June 18, 2022
Godspower
Reply

Wow very enlightened

September 19, 2022
Vivian
Reply

Thank you; useful!

December 10, 2021
Selma
Reply

5 stars
I could not refrain from commenting. Well written!

January 14, 2021
Analisa
Reply

5 stars
I could not refrain from commenting. Perfectly written!

November 22, 2020
Tina
Reply

4 stars
Thank you so much. I will be trying that with my next stew

November 10, 2020
Kristal
Reply

5 stars
Thanks for showing me how to make tomato stew, it is delicious. I just
bookmarked your website and check for new information about other Nigerian foods

October 30, 2020
chinedu
Reply

5 stars
I have learned a lot from this blog, the way I used to make it was very different from what I saw here. I think this would taste better, God bless you more.

July 18, 2020
Nelo
Reply

5 stars
Thanks Chidi. To take tomato stew to cloud nine, I add parboiled iced fish (savida or mackerel). Irresistible!

January 24, 2020
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

Thanks for your feedback, I use mackerel too.

January 25, 2020
Akinneye christiana
Reply

5 stars
It is lovely. Thank you.

January 24, 2020
Ifeomachukwuka
Reply

Guess what!! My stew changed a better taste.
it’s now delicious like never before.
Thanks and keep showing me more?

October 5, 2019
tayo
Reply

thanks for the recipes

September 16, 2019
Happiness
Reply

After frying the tomatoes and everything, should we still add water to it

July 14, 2019
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

Yeah, if you like. Most times the beef stock is enough.

July 14, 2019
Duru Timothy
Reply

What is the name of the leaf you used as a design in the last stage of the stew?

April 14, 2023
Chef Chidi

We call it curry leaves.

April 21, 2023
Push
Reply

Wow I tried the stew and it was very nice my friends loved it so much

July 7, 2019
Stacey
Reply

This is nice. Now i can prove to my friends that a boy can be good in the kitchen.

April 21, 2019
Alice
Reply

I followed every step in preparing tomato stew… Hmmmm! The taste is out of space. Thanks ma

March 25, 2019
Juliet
Reply

Thank you so much sister chy

January 14, 2019
Tolu
Reply

Hello
Love your blog. I too have issues with sour taste of the stew. My mother is a great cook and I seem to be missing something.

My mother’s method is to:

1. Pour oil into pot and switch gas on
2. Blend peeled (tinned) tomatoes, onions, tatashe and ata rodo (quantity as needed)
3. When blended she adds to the pot containing oil
4. She then adds the seasonings
5. She had preboiled the meat with seasoning etc and adds to stew when it is time

I try to follow this but fail. I know it is down to seasoning and also the tomato puree. I don’t use it but will now try. Can you add the puree to the pot once number 3 above has been carried out? I think this is what my mother does.

My seasoning for the stew needs to be better and I going with more variety like knorr, curry power (Caribbean) etc. The chicken seasoning is a lot better.

May 18, 2018
Chef Chidi
Reply

I did point out that it boils down to the quantity and quality of oil being used. you need like 500ml of oil to fry 1500ml of ground tomatoes. That’s why the stew you buy from the restaurant taste a whole lot better. Notice there is lots of oil in it. What I usually do is drain the oil when the tomatoes is well fried.

May 19, 2018
Stevenjuino
Reply

It’s an amazing post. This website is loaded with lots of interesting things, it really helped me in many ways.

December 29, 2017
Stevenjuino
Reply

It’s an amazing article. This website has lots of useful things, it helped me in many ways.

December 24, 2017
Amos Abeni
Reply

Christmas is a few days away and I am alone in the house with all the necessary ingredients and not knowing what to do I just stumbled on your instructions. Thanks indeed, you have made my day.
God bless. Merry Christmas to everyone and a happy and prosperous new year.

December 22, 2017
khadija khalid
Reply

Hmmmm what a coincidence but fortunate one ma. Having dz probs dt baffle me(sour stew). Now I got it. Thanks for all the contributions.

September 10, 2017
amaka
Reply

Ma’am I want to learn how to cook the combination of fresh tomatoes and tin tomato, Each time I prepare it, it always come out sour taste, I do fry the fresh tomatoe a little beat and then add the tin tomato

August 3, 2017
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

The secret is in the quantity of oil used, you can pour it out later.
I usually combine the both and fry.

August 8, 2017
Fubec bliss
Reply

I really appreciate ypur post ma’am,buh how do i join your page

June 8, 2017
Hauwa
Reply

I love all ur cooking recipe

April 4, 2017
Vivian
Reply

I don’t really know how to make tomato stew and I believe with your help now I will. I am about to use your method now believing that the taste will come out delicious. I will come back when am done Lol.

March 25, 2017
Faith
Reply

Pls how do i wash cow tail to get rid of sand o.l feel ao bad about it.Tanks

March 22, 2017
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

Use boiled water and salt. works for me. Chidi

March 25, 2017
Becky
Reply

This is just a wonderful coincidence.I jst finished preparing tomato sauce whc turnd out 2 b sour,then I grabed my fone 2 find my way out and I stumbled on ur blog.May God bless u 4 me.

August 13, 2016
FALUSI A.B
Reply

Thanks a lot.Your site has really helped me a lot in my cooking.i recommend it to every woman who wants to be better in her cooking for her family. Thanks for showing me how to make tomato stew.

January 26, 2016
Karyn
Reply

Ma! This is a wonderful recipe. Pls how do i stem or boil the carrots and green beans? Thank you.

January 6, 2016
sussie
Reply

i just love the way you said it should be done, i will give it a trial. thanks madam

November 25, 2015
eky ekams
Reply

d recipes were really nice can’t wait to try them…..fnks keep up d good work

October 15, 2015
wini
Reply

thanks chy,
keep up with the good works.

September 28, 2015
Alice G
Reply

Please I want to know will it be possible to fry tomato without drying the water first?

August 26, 2015
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

sure, you can do that but you will then have to fry for a longer period.

August 27, 2015
vivian
Reply

I don’t know why my tomatoes stew is never sweet after using chicken glory and mivina please help I know my fiance is not happy but he isn’t complaining.

August 2, 2015
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

Sorry about that, you are obviously doing something wrong, tell me how you cook your own stew.

August 2, 2015
ifueko
Reply

You are a wonderful cook. You have taught me a lot. Thank you.

July 30, 2015
Patrick
Reply

I just want to know how to make tomato stew with fresh fish only.

&&&&Updated by Chidi.
There is really nothing difficult here. parboil the fish with all neccesary ingredients, fry your tomatoes and then add your spices, the parboiled fish and finally some vegetables.

June 7, 2015
Amaka
Reply

I don’t think frying of food is all that healthy. I can’t remember the last I fried my stew. Of course I do sieve the water of the blended tomatoes and then cook with pot lid covered, Stirring frequently until the whole water dries up. Then add oil and cover the pot for sometime, add onions and do the same and then proceed with other ingredients and then the meat with its stock. The aroma is great.

May 10, 2015
Mummy P
Reply

This is nice though I use to add benny and chicken glory to bring out taste too..pls hw do I join ur site? I just Typed hw to make nigeria red stew and saw you, I dnt need to do it this way all d time. .Thanks Nwanyioma.

April 4, 2015
adwoa afeafah
Reply

wow thnxx Ma, will try dat bt kudos

March 1, 2015
N.G
Reply

Kudos Chi But have you tried Red oil tomato stew, hmmmmmm very delicious that you cant resist.

February 20, 2015
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

Red oil? Ok, I will have to try that one, thanks

February 23, 2015
Anyiam Chima
Reply

wow I took it as an experiment and it turned out perfect….. good work chef………

February 7, 2015
chinenye luke
Reply

Cn i use different maggi cubes for stew?

December 20, 2014
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

yes, if you mean different food sweetener. Maggi is only one of them. There is knorr, royco, etc.

December 22, 2014
Jewel
Reply

Dearest Chidi,

hmmmmmm this is really nice, I know how to make tomatoes stew but i have not done this method before but i will give it a try.thanks for taking us all back to our various native root. it has really increased our cooking skills.

October 30, 2014
Phina
Reply

hmmmm. this is my 1st time of logging on to this site though, i once made a tomatoes stew with sour taste and my fiance complained abt it.but thanks so much for this information.just continue to do what you know how to do best and the good God will reward you abundantly.

September 26, 2014
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

Phina, Thanks for visiting.

September 27, 2014
rejoice
Reply

Hmm nice one, u re a genius ma, I will try that

September 19, 2014
cynthia
Reply

Thank you ma,I rili enjoy these

August 23, 2014
ify
Reply

I have a method i use in cooking my tomato stew…its simply by boiling…blend your tomato with pepper,onions,ginger and garlic(ginger and garlic optional)..season your meat with whatever spices you like,add water to cook,when its a bit done and the water is almost drying add the blended tomato and the tin tomato if ur using that,allow to boil till the water dries out,add your vegetable oil,sliced onions,maggi, curry and every other you wanna use and allow to boil for about 20 -30 mins… then its ready to eat ….. the taste is wonderful and hey you wont even notice the sour taste……*winks*

May 27, 2014
Morakinyo Isaiah
Reply

My cooking has change for better ever since i adopted the recipe and cooking method of Chidi Anegbu. It makes cooking so easy via her explicit step by step procedure. Thanks so much, at least I have stopped eating out. To everyone ‘ YOUR COOKING CAN REALLY IMPROVE with CHY ANEGBU’…….Thanks for showing me how to make tomato stew.

May 24, 2014
Steph
Reply

Hello everyone, here is the secret to making tomato stew without that soure taste! Wash and squeeze out the tomatoes seeds a little or simply cut them in halfs put them in a pot, cover and perboil for atleast 10 minutes or till you see them boiling and they have reduced in their original fresh size, bring down and drain in a sieve,blend and fry and the taste you’ll get will take you to heaven! Another method is: blend your tomatoes as usual, poure into a pot and sprinkle 2 pinches of salt and bring it down as soon as it starts to boil(dis method sepr8’s the water 4rm d tomatoes) pour the puree into a sieve, drain n fry and there wount be soure taste good luck.

April 28, 2014
khadija khalid
Reply

Oh tnx dear cus I do hv a problem of sour stew.

September 10, 2017
Steph
Reply

Mair, you need to blend fresh pepper and onions and fry along with the tin tomatoes to give your tomato stew that fresh taste.

April 28, 2014
cherish
Reply

i love dis site!! it is amazing.am about to loose my lovely fiance just because i dont know how to cook. plz where can i get ur book in imo state. plz,help me!

March 15, 2014
Favour
Reply

This is absolutely superb! I never knew that such a site exists. More grease to your elbow

March 2, 2014
Elizabeth
Reply

just discovered your site today! wonderful! wonderful!! love all the recipe i have seen…kudos to you! Thanks for the tomato stew.

September 10, 2013
jeni
Reply

i havent tried it yet but i think i can do it.i just want to please my nigerian boyfriend whom i adore.

August 18, 2013
Joyce
Reply

It is definitely not the tin tomato, just how you made the stew.

August 16, 2013
lenora
Reply

Hello! I use blend of tin tomatoes and fresh tomatoes and still end up with a little sour taste, is it bcus of d tin tomatoes?

August 16, 2013
G-Strokes
Reply

What I do sometimes whenever I want to use tin tomato is to fry it first for few minutes before adding anything else. I don’t usually have the sour taste.

This is an awesome site. God bless

May 18, 2019
The Nigerian Kitchen
Reply

Hello Miar, I don’t like canned foods that much. If you want the best of tomato stew you should use only fresh tomatoes or a blend of both. Chumy, to answer your question, you a can add ginger if you like, I use it ocassionally. Tastes nice too! Lol

July 22, 2013
Miar
Reply

Can I use just tin tomatoes for this kind of stew? I got a carton of them from a friend and want to know I can just use them since I don’t have extra money for fresh ones… my bad!

July 22, 2013
Chumy
Reply

Please I need to know if I can add ginger to tomato stew, my doctor recommended ginger to boost my health and I have been adding ginger to virtually every food that I eat and I want to know if I can also include ginger when making Nigerian stew. Thanks

July 17, 2013
Akpa Chinedu
Reply

Yes, you can add ginger but it should be as a seasoning ingredient for the parboiling of the meat (goat, chicken) you are using.
Remember not to add too much so as not make it override the taste of the stew.

March 9, 2014
Sename
Reply

Of course you can. I for one add ginger, garlic and nutmeg all blended up and it gives my stew an aroma to die for especially in my chicken tomatoes stew. Try it and see.

June 29, 2014
Chigirl
Reply

I will give it a try .actually this is my first time here,I learnt a lot this night

February 23, 2019
Alice Ogar
Reply

Of course u can

June 7, 2020
Joyce
Reply

Thanks for the recipe, you seem to be very good at what you do. I have been visiting your site for the past three months and I must confess that you are the best cook in Nigeria. Thanks for helping me, my food just got better (according to my husband), thanks to your site and emails. Joyce C

July 17, 2013
Drake man
Reply

This seems a lot delicious! I live in a part of the world where much tomatoes are produced. Sometimes my problem lie on what to make with tomatoes. Thanks for the stew, I will give it a whirl

July 17, 2013

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