Recipe for African ‘Designer’ Stew

The first thing that probably comes to mind when you hear designer stew is who is the designer, Ralph Lauren or Vera Wang? Well the name designer stew came from a local restaurant in Alade Market, Lagos, Nigeria. The woman’s stew is so delicious she only needs to open shop 2 hours daily (closed on weekends) after which she is sold out… Amazing eh? Her stew is the modernized version of the local stew we get in my village of Ijebu, Nigeria. Anyway when I learnt the secret to making such mouth-watering stew I felt inclined to share it with the world.

So here goes:

INGREDIENTS
Beef (orisirishi)
Salt
Maggi Cube (I usually prefer the chicken flavor)
Garlic
Onions
4 Green Bell Pepper
2 Red Bell Pepper
Habanera pepper (I use 3 I like it really spicey..but you decide)
1 Cup of Palm Oil
White Rice

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut the beef into small pieces and put them in a pot.
2. Rinse the beef thoroughly and season with maggi, salt, slice in onions and add water.
(Even though this is designer stew DO NOT USE any fancy season like curry powder etc)
3. While the beef is cooking, pre-heat your oven at 475 degrees.
4. Once the beef is soft, put them in a oven tray and bake for 30-45 or till they are brown.
5. Next you will blend the green pepper, red pepper, one whole onion, and the habanera. Don’t add water or TOMATO. (at this point it looks like the green pepper refuses to mix with the red—that’s ok).
6. Heat up the palm oil with sliced onion and some garlic until the onions and garlic are burnt then remove the oil from the stove and let it cool.
7. (Can you smell that traditional stew smelll…delish.) Anyway take out the burnt onions and garlic and trash it.
8. Then put the palm oil back on the stove and add the blended peppers.
9. Season the blend pepper with salt and maggie to taste and cover it up to fry.
10. You will know when the pepper is fried when you can see the palm oil on top of the heated pepper. (FYI -The quantity of the blended pepper shrinks).
11. Add the baked beef to the frying pepper and leave it to cook. You will know it is ready when you see the palm oil on top.
12. Turn off the stove and set the stew aside. A few minutes later the stew changes to a dark brown (this is when the “localness” comes out).

The stew is better served with boiled rice.

Disclaimer: The stew is intended for your pleasure only and is provided “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND THAT IT TASTES SIMILAR, ALIKE OR COMPARABLE TO THE ALADE MARKET (Lagos) DESIGNER STEW. YOU COOK IT AT YOUR OWN RISK. (Just kidding about the last part!)

Enjoy!