AI-generated image
Nigerian chicken stew
Obe ata: Nigerian red pepper and tomato stew with fried chicken
Almost every Nigerian kitchen has a pot of this red stew in the fridge. Lagos households cook a big batch on Saturday and eat it all week over white rice, boiled yam, plantain or beans. Red bell peppers, tomatoes, scotch bonnet and onion are blended and fried in oil for a long time until the raw taste is gone and the oil rises to the top, then browned chicken goes in. The classic mistake is not frying the pepper base long enough; the stew tastes sour and raw if you rush it. Chef's tip: boil the chicken first with seasoning, then fry it before it goes into the stew, and use that seasoned stock in the sauce.
- Total time
- 95 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the chicken
For the pepper base
Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Put 3 ⅛ lb chicken thighs and drumsticks, bone in in a pot with ½ onion, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp curry powder, 2 chicken stock cube, ¾ tsp salt and 2 cups water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Lift out the chicken and keep the stock.
25 minStep 2: Pat the chicken dry. Heat ¾ cup vegetable oil, for frying in a deep frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry the pieces in batches for 4–5 minutes a side until deep golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
15 minStep 3: Blend 4 red peppers, 6 plum tomatoes, 2 scotch bonnet chillies and 1 onion until smooth.
Step 4: Tip the blend into a pot and boil it uncovered over a medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until reduced by about a third.
15 minStep 5: Heat ½ cup vegetable oil in a large pot over a medium heat. Fry 1 onion for 3 minutes, add 3 tbsp tomato paste and fry for 3 minutes more, stirring, until it darkens.
6 minStep 6: Pour in the reduced pepper purée and 2 bay leaves. Fry, stirring often, for 20–25 minutes until the stew is thick, deep red and the oil floats on top. It should taste sweet, not sharp.
22 minStep 7: Add 300 ml of the chicken stock, the fried chicken and the rest of ¾ tsp salt. Simmer for 10 minutes, until the chicken is coated and heated through.
10 minStep 8: Check the thickest piece of chicken next to the bone: it must read 165°F. Taste for salt and serve with white rice, yam or fried plantain.
Step 9: Cool within 2 hours. The stew keeps in the fridge for 4 days or freezes for 3 months; reheat until bubbling.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 35 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 36 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does nigerian chicken stew take?
- About 95 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 75 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of red peppers?
- Any colour of bell pepper, same amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Sayur lodeh
Sayur lodeh is everyday cooking in Central Java, made in big pots in Solo and Semarang kitchens and ladled over rice, with lontong rice cakes at Lebaran, or alongside opor and sambal goreng on festive tables. It's soupy rather than thick: a fragrant broth of coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass and lime leaf that carries chunks of aubergine, long beans, chayote and sweetcorn, plus tempeh and tofu to make it a meal. The flavour is mellow and slightly sweet, so the heat comes from sambal on the side. Chef's tip: keep the pot at a gentle simmer once the coconut milk goes in and stir now and then — a rolling boil splits the coconut milk into oily curds.
Chana masala
A North Indian staple that comes together from the store cupboard. Toasted cumin, slow-softened onion and a good spoonful of garam masala give tinned chickpeas real depth. Serve with rice, naan or a stack of warm rotis.
Smoky spiced aubergine
Whole aubergines charred over a flame until the skin blackens and the flesh turns soft and smoky, then chopped and tossed with onion, tomato, ginger, garlic and green chillies. A few black specks left in the flesh add to the smoky flavour. Serve hot with yogurt and millet rotla.
