All Nigerian Recipes Tomato Stew

This Nigerian red stew recipe features my favorite Nigerian tomato stew using farm raised ram meat which adds a distinct, delicious gamey flavor!

Hello People! Long time no see! It has been a while since my last recipe post, but I am back! Since I was gone for a while, I decided I wanted to come back with a little something special. My tomato stew has been a staple and a hit in my house and I had promised my husband that I would not be sharing my recipe with anyone. For years my sisters would come over to my house, eat my stew and beg me for my recipe, and I would say No, every. single. time. Now here I am not only sharing this Nigerian red stew recipe, but specifically, I’ll be making this Nigerian tomato stew with Ram meat… using farm raised ram which adds a more delicious gamey flavor! Y’all are really special.

Before everyone thinks I am a big ol’ meanie; Yes, I eventually decided to share my Nigerian stew recipe with my sisters before I decided to share it with the internet. This stew is pretty much a staple in almost every Nigerian household so I needed to know it could be replicated perfectly before exposing it to the outside! As you can imagine, Nigerians can be pretty particular with our popular dishes, especially our rice staples! Not meaning to humble-brag but after the feedback I received, I believe you are finally getting what I consider the ultimate Nigerian tomato stew.

Nigerian Chicken Stew (tomato Stew)

Tomato stew is a staple eaten all over West Africa with some ingredient variations based on culture and individual preferences.  Between this and ofada stew, another Nigerian red stew staple, this is probably even more common in Nigerian households due to its ease of preparation. What ties all of the different stew variations together is that they are commonly made with blended tomatoes (sometimes with onions and peppers), cooked with some oil and some type of protein. Depending on who is cooking it for you; the type of oil used, the other vegetables blended with the tomatoes, the consistency of the tomato stew and the protein used to cook the stew varies.  I chose ram for this stew mostly out of Nostalgia (also because it tastes AMAZING!), but also because ram is one of the more popular celebratory meats eaten in Nigeria, especially during the Eid el Kabir season. At the end of the Islamic ramadan fast,   it was not unusual to have your Islamic neighbors share some of the ram meat with you as part of their celebrations. Since ram can be expensive, stews with ram meat were more common during such holidays but many Nigerians with the means would happily avail themselves of this tomato stew delicacy outside of the holiday seasons. 

Broil the braised lamb chunks in the oven until it is browned on both sides then set aside (check out this link on how to quickly and properly braise the meat or review the quick overview in the recipe notes below this recipe.

In a large pot Cook the blended tomato mixture on medium heat until it forms a paste. It should reduce to about half its volume. While the  blended tomato mixture is reducing, slice one large onion and set aside.

Nigerian Chicken Stew (nigerian Tomato Stew)

Once the tomato mixture has reduced, scoop the paste out of the pot and set it aside. In the same pot, heat the oil on medium heat and caramelize the onions until it is mostly softened. Add the tomato paste to the caramelized onions and add the cook on low- medium heat for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, pour in the stock, and season with bouillon, dried thyme and curry powder. Stir and continue to cook for another 10 minutes on low heat.

After 10 minutes, add in the cooked ram, stir, and cook the stew covered for another 5 minutes on low heat. Taste for salt and adjust to your preference, and cook for another 5 minutes covered.

Nigerian Beef Stew (african Stew Recipe)

After 5 minutes, your stew is ready to serve! Nigerian tomato stew is usually paired with boiled rice, beans, plantain, starchy root vegetables like yam and sometimes soups commonly eaten with fufu.

Please be sure to rate this recipe and leave a comment below if you enjoyed this recipe! Also while you’re here why not take a quick second and subscribe to my newsletter to get email notifications on new recipes, click the links to FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST or INSTAGRAM? You can catch some behind the scenes action, my shopping hauls, personalized tips and friend-only recipes with videos on my Instagram. Also pin this recipe for later and explore some of my favorite recipes on Pinterest and if you love it as much as I know you will, SHARE with some friends! 

Nigerian Tomato Stew Nutrition Nigerian tomato stew calories and nutrition information is shown below. Ingredients listed above were enough for about 10 servings (could be more depending on how small your serving sizes are).

Nigerian Tomato Stew Recipe (obe Ata)

After 5 minutes, your stew is ready to serve! Nigerian tomato stew is usually paired with boiled rice, beans, plantain, starchy root vegetables like yam and sometimes soups commonly eaten with fufu.

Please be sure to rate this recipe and leave a comment below if you enjoyed this recipe! Also while you’re here why not take a quick second and subscribe to my newsletter to get email notifications on new recipes, click the links to FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST or INSTAGRAM? You can catch some behind the scenes action, my shopping hauls, personalized tips and friend-only recipes with videos on my Instagram. Also pin this recipe for later and explore some of my favorite recipes on Pinterest and if you love it as much as I know you will, SHARE with some friends! 

Nigerian Tomato Stew Nutrition Nigerian tomato stew calories and nutrition information is shown below. Ingredients listed above were enough for about 10 servings (could be more depending on how small your serving sizes are).

Nigerian Tomato Stew Recipe (obe Ata)