Chicken & turkey

Nigerian Chicken Stew

Name: Nigerian Chicken Stew
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Cuisine: African
Ingredients: 750g chicken thigh fillets, halved; 2 (320g) red peppers, roughly chopped; 1 × 400g tin plum tomatoes; 2 (300g) onions, 1 roughly chopped, 1 sliced; 2 (20g) scotch bonnets, stalks removed; 4 cloves (20g) garlic; 20g fresh ginger; 30g (2 tbsp) tomato purée; 6g (2 tsp) curry powder; 3g (1 tsp) dried thyme; 3 bay leaves; 45ml rapeseed oil; 1 cube chicken stock cube; 150ml water

Chicken thighs in a rich, deep red stew of blended peppers, tomatoes, onion and scotch bonnet, fried down with thyme and curry powder.

makes 22 blocks, about 38p each

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Illustration of a bowl of Nigerian Chicken Stew

Time: 1 hr 20 min20 min prep · 1 hr cook
Makes: 22 blocks
Cost per blockPer block: 38p
Calories per blockCalories: 78 kcal
Spice

Ingredients

Batch size

blocks

750gchicken thigh fillets, halved
2 (320g)red peppers, roughly chopped
1 × 400g tinplum tomatoes
2 (300g)onions, 1 roughly chopped, 1 sliced
2 (20g)scotch bonnets, stalks removed
4 cloves (20g)garlic
20gfresh ginger
30g (2 tbsp)tomato purée
6g (2 tsp)curry powder
3g (1 tsp)dried thyme
3bay leaves
45mlrapeseed oil
1 cubechicken stock cube
150mlwater

Allergens: none of the 14 major allergens in the ingredients as listed. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

Nutrition

estimated

	1 block	3 blocks
Energy	78 kcal	234 kcal
Protein	7.1g	21.3g
Carbs	3.6g	10.8g
Fat	3.9g	11.7g
Fibre	0.9g	2.7g
Salt	0.29g	0.87g

Method

Step 1: Blitz the red peppers, tomatoes, chopped onion, scotch bonnets, garlic and ginger. Boil uncovered in a large pan, stirring, until reduced by a third. (20 min)
Step 2: Meanwhile, season the chicken with half the curry powder and thyme and brown it in 15ml of the oil in a casserole in two batches. Lift out. (10 min)
Step 3: Soften the sliced onion in the rest of the oil for 5 minutes, then fry the tomato purée, bay and remaining curry powder and thyme. (7 min)
Step 4: Add the reduced purée and fry over a medium heat, stirring often, until it darkens and the oil rises. (15 min)
Step 5: Add the chicken, stock cube and water, cover and simmer gently until tender. (20 min)
Step 6: Remove the bay, taste for salt, then cool and freeze in 70g blocks.

Milder: use 1 scotch bonnet with the seeds removed.

Serve it

Boiled white rice and fried plantain · Jollof rice · Boiled yam or potatoes

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per block	78	7.1g	3.6g	3.9g	0.9g	0.29g
Per 3 blocks	234	21.3g	10.8g	11.7g	2.7g	0.87g

Cook’s notes

Wear gloves to handle scotch bonnets, and keep your hands away from your eyes.
Bone-in thighs and drumsticks are traditional: simmer them for 35 minutes and take the meat off the bones before freezing.

Serve it

Boiled white rice and fried plantain · Jollof rice · Boiled yam or potatoes.

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, portion it into 70g blocks in a silicone tray, then bag and label them. It keeps for 3 months.
Reheat: Microwave 3 blocks, covered, for 1 minute, stir, then heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Or warm them in a pan with a splash of water. Never refreeze thawed blocks.
A portion: 3 blocks (210g) make a dinner for one adult: about 234 kcal and 21.3g protein before rice, bread or potatoes.

Nigerian Chicken Stew questions

Why reduce the pepper purée before frying it?

Boiling off some of the water first means the base fries in the oil rather than stewing, which is quicker and gives a deeper, sweeter flavour. Skip it and the frying in step 4 takes about twice as long.

What curry powder should I use?

Nigerian cooks use a mild, turmeric-heavy curry powder, sold in most African and Caribbean shops. Any mild curry powder works; a hot one adds extra heat on top of the scotch bonnets.

Can I use beef?

Diced beef braising steak works well. Brown it in the same way and simmer it covered for 1 hour 30 minutes in step 5, adding a splash more water if the sauce gets too thick.