Vegan Nigerian Tomato Stew

Vegan Nigerian Tomato Stew, a vegan take on a popular Nigerian stew. Tempeh and mushrooms in a rich and spicy tomato sauce with a deep umami flavour. 

Ingredients of Note

Scotch Bonnet, is a spicey chilli variety that’s used extensively in the Caribbean and West African cooking. You can add more or less depending on how spicy you like your food. Consider adding it whole if you just want to add the flavour to the stew without much of the spice.

Nigerian Curry Powder, is very similar to Jamaican curry powders. It usually has a higher turmeric content than Indian curry powders so if you can’t find Nigerian or Jamaican curry powder then just use whatever kind you can find and add extra turmeric. 

Serving Vegan Nigerian Tomato Stew

Vegan Nigerian Tomato Stew is great served with some fluffy basmati rice to soak up the rich sauce.

This recipe for Vegan Nigerian Tomato Stew can be adapted with added vegetables or changing the main protein. You could use tofu, chickpeas or even something like butter beans.

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Vegan Nigerian Tomato Stew

A vegan take on a popular Nigerian stew. Tempeh and mushrooms in a rich and spicy tomato sauce with a deep umami flavour.

4.41 from 5 votes

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Course Main

Cuisine Nigerian

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Tomato Sauce

• 2 tins tomatoes 2x400g
• 1 brown onion roughly chopped
• 1 red bell pepper roughly chopped
• 1 Scotch bonnet more or less depending on preference
• 4 cloves garlic
• 20 g fresh ginger

Stew

• 20 g porcini mushrooms
• 300 g portobello mushrooms cut into bite-sized pieces
• 250 g tempeh cut into bite-sized pieces
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 brown onion thinly sliced
• 1 medium carrot cut into thin disks
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 2 teaspoons Nigerian curry powder or Jamaican
• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
• 300 ml vegan beef stock or vegetable

Instructions

 

• Add all the ingredients for the tomato sauce to a blender and purée until smooth. If you want less heat in the sauce, remove the seeds from the Scotch bonnet.
• Soak the porcini mushrooms in 100ml of boiling water and set aside to rehydrate.
• Season the tempeh cubes with salt and pepper and ½ teaspoon smoked paprika.
• Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, fry the tempeh until golden all over, around 8 minutes.
• Remove the tempeh from the pan then add the portobello mushrooms and stir to coat them in the oil. Let the mushrooms cook, stirring occasionally until all the liquid has been released. This will take 10 to 15 minutes.
• Optional step: to remove more liquid from the mushrooms and to give them a meatier texture they can be pressed using a flat bottomed potato masher.
• Remove the mushrooms from the pan and add the remaining oil with the sliced onion and carrot. Add a pinch of salt and sauté until the onion is soft and translucent, around 4 minutes.
• Now add the blended tomato sauce along with the sweet paprika, curry powder, black pepper, salt and dried thyme. Remove the porcini mushrooms from the soaking liquid and cut them into small pieces then add to the pan. Carefully pour the soaking liquid into the pan watching not to add any grit that's settled on the bottom.
• Stir everything together then bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Partially cover the pan and let the sauce reduce until it's thick and the oil is starting to pool at the sides of the pan, stirring occasionally. This will take around 30 minutes.
• Add the sliced red bell pepper, cooked mushrooms, tempeh and the vegan beef stock. Depending on how reduced the tomato sauce is more or less stock might be needed.
• Let the stew continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning then serve hot with some white rice.

Tried this recipe?Mention @mikeronm or tag #theveganplanetkitchen!