MOMMA’S METHOD FOR MAKING FRIED PALM OIL STEW

3 mn read

Palm Oil Stew?? I’m sure many people are curious if there’s anything unique about this stew, considering I already have at least 6 different palm oil stew recipes on the blog. Well, this recipe is from my mum. She rarely consumes meat, so she often prepares stews using dried fish and stock fish, and she prefers to use palm oil over vegetable oil.

To be honest, Nigerian stews are remarkably adaptable. I mean, I can create at least 5 different-tasting stews using the same set of ingredients. The variations in flavor primarily depend on cooking methods, the duration the stew is allowed to simmer, and the timing of ingredient additions. So, even though the ingredients may seem similar, trust me, each stew has its own unique flavor profile.

Ingredients:

– 6 Red Bell Peppers (Tatashe)
– Assorted meats (Boiled and Fried)
– 4-6 Boiled Eggs (Optional)
– 1.5 cups Palm oil
– 2 Big onions
– 2-4 Scotch bonnet (Ata rodo)
– Stock fish
– Dried Catfish fillets or Shawa fillets
– 1 Cup Dried Prawns
– 4 Tablespoons Crayfish Powder
– 4 Knorr Chicken Cubes
– Salt to taste

Method:

Using a food processor, chop up your bell peppers and 1.5 Onions coarsely, set aside..

Boil your Stock fish and Catfish fillets in salted water till soft. Set aside..

Pour the palm oil into a pan, set on medium heat. When the oil heats up, add the 1/2 chopped onion, saute for 3 minutes…

After 3 minutes, add half of the crayfish powder, saute for just 30 seconds….

Try not to leave the crayfish for too long to avoid it burning or it’ll give your stew a bitter taste…

Then add the pepper. Also add the Knorr cubes and salt to taste, leave to fry on medium heat for 20 minutes, remember to stir every now and then to avoid burning..

The stew should look like this after 20 minutes. In fact, the stew should be cooked enough to eat at this time but we’re not done yet…:)

Then add the Stock fish and Catfish fillet..

Also add a 1/2 a cup of the fish broth…

Now, turn the heat to low, then leave to fry for 40 minutes. the longer it fries, the drier it becomes and the tastier it gets. Trust me, the key to well fried stew is to let it fry for as long as possible. Try not to burn the stew though..