Cookbook:Nigerian Carrot Stew

The ideal substitute for tomato stew is carrot stew. Although it is less popular in Nigeria and more of an international cuisine, you can use carrots to produce a simple tomato-free stew that tastes just as good and flavorful as the traditional tomato stew.

This simple vegetable doesn't have an odd flavor and doesn't dominate the flavor of other components in stews. It can be used in a variety of stew recipes. This specific tomato-free stew combines both carrots and bell peppers; the blended carrot adds a lot of texture and volume to the stew, much like tomatoes would have done; once the carrots and peppers have been boiled to become soft, it makes it easy to blend without much difficulty and without adding water, since they are already soft. In this scenario, frying the stew and getting everything ready won't take too long.

Ingredients

 * Meat
 * Salt
 * Pepper
 * Stock cubes
 * Whole onions, peeled
 * Carrots
 * Chile peppers
 * Diced onion
 * Vegetable oil
 * Chopped onion
 * Ginger, minced
 * Garlic, minced
 * Bay leaves
 * Nigerian curry powder
 * Thyme

Procedure

 * 1) Season the meat with salt, pepper, and stock cube. Transfer to a pot with whole onions, cover with water, and cook until very tender.
 * 2) Remove the meat from the pot, and reserve the liquid (stock) used to cook it.
 * 3) Cut the meat into smaller pieces, and fry it in oil until golden brown on all sides.
 * 4) Chop the carrots. Combine them with the chile peppers and an equal amount of diced onions in a pot. Cover with water, and simmer until the carrots are tender. Drain the liquid out, and blend the vegetables to a purée.
 * 5) Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a pan, and add the chopped onions, ginger, and garlic. Cook for 1 minute.
 * 6) Add the puréed vegetable mixture, and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes.
 * 7) Add bay leaves, and season with curry, thyme, salt, and 2 stock cubes.
 * 8) Stir in enough of the reserved meat stock to achieve your desired consistency. Cover the pot, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
 * 9) Mix in the fried meat, and simmer for 5 minutes.
 * 10) Adjust the seasoning if necessary, and remove the bay leaves.
 * 11) Remove from the heat, and serve with boiled rice or other sides.