How To Make Nigerian Egg Stew: Nigerian Egg Sauce Recipe

Nigerian egg stew is a popular West African dish with eggs, tomatoes, and peppers. Nigerian Egg Stew is a perfect choice if you’re looking for a flavor-packed dish that will leave your guests asking for seconds.

Nigerian Egg stew is a very common recipe in Nigerian homes. It is similar to the tomato omelette and scrambled egg, but it is not as stiff and requires more ingredients.

This stew is especially loved by children, you will almost find about three primary school children in the same class, bring this to school on the same day.

And, can we skip the university students? Umm nope! This stew is basically their everyday call since there is usually no time to think about what to eat.

What Is Egg Stew?

Egg stew is one of the most delicious Nigerian stews made of whisked eggs, peppers, tomatoes, spices, and vegetable oil.

This recipe requires more tomatoes than pepper, which is the secret behind the good taste.

Also, besides the good taste, Nigerian egg stew is very quick and easy to make. Within a few minutes, you will already have it on your table with Nigerian staple foods like white rice, yam, or potatoes.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Highly Customizable – Many people love this recipe because you can easily tweak the ingredients. You can add vegetables and proteins to suit your taste or, let’s say to suit how you feel at the moment.
• An Any-Time Food – This yummy egg stew recipe can be enjoyed anytime, whether it is breakfast, lunch, or dinner. If you had a long day at work, prepare and eat this egg stew with white rice or boiled macaroni. You will wake up incredibly nourished the next morning!
• Beginner Friendly – If you are not big on cooking, you will still get a delicious egg stew. This is how easy this recipe is. It also only requires 15 minutes of cooking time.
• Budget Friendly – The ingredients used in making this egg stew are very cheap.

What Does Nigerian Egg Stew Taste Like?

Nigerian egg stew has a delicious, spicy umami taste like tomato stew. The umami taste is the taste of the major ingredients, tomatoes, and eggs.

While the spiciness comes from the little added pepper and ingredients like onions and curry powder… that boost the taste and aroma of the delicious stew.

Is Egg Stew Healthy?

Yes, Nigerian egg stew is very healthy. Egg, especially the yolk, is one of the most nutrient-dense foods in the world.

It contains vitamins and essential nutrients like Vitamin A, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B9, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Calcium, Zinc, Choline, Zeaxanthin, Lutein, and Proteins.

Also, tomatoes, peppers, and onions are very good vegetables with essential nutrients and vitamins needed by the body.

What Are The Benefits Of Egg Stew?

Improves Eye Health

The zeaxanthin and lutein in eggs are important nutrients for the eyes. They protect your eyes from high-energy light waves, like ultraviolet rays, in sunlight.

This leads to preventing any eye defect caused by harmful light waves.

Reduces The Risk Of Heart Disease

Eggs and tomatoes contain Vitamin B9 and Vitamin D, which are very important nutrients for the heart.

Vitamin B9 reduces the amount of homocysteine amino acid, which causes heart problems in the body, and increased vitamin D level improves the overall functioning of your heart.

Another good thing about the egg with tomatoes combo is the HDL cholesterol. The good amount of Lycopene in tomatoes increases HDL cholesterol levels, and eggs naturally contain this type of cholesterol.

This HDL cholesterol(good) regulates LDL cholesterol(bad), thereby preventing heart diseases caused by LDL cholesterol.

Improves Immune System Function

Vitamin A in eggs and fresh peppers and Vitamin E in eggs help with the function of the immune system. These vitamins help to protect against invaders like bacteria, viruses, and fungi that can cause illnesses.

Promotes Healthy Bones

Vitamin A, Vitamin K, and Calcium in eggs, sweet pepper, and tomatoes help with the proper development of bones in children and adults.

They fight against diseases of the bones like low bone density and osteoporosis.

Differences Between Nigerian Egg Stew and Garden Egg Stew

The main difference between Nigerian egg stew and garden egg stew is the type of egg used.

While Nigerian egg stew requires chicken eggs, garden egg stew requires white or green eggplants.

Similarly, the two types of Nigerian stews are made with plenty of tomatoes, making them delicious. They can also be eaten with the same kinds of staple Nigerian foods.

Nigerian Egg Stew Ingredients

• Eggs – The eggs are the main ingredients in this recipe. Both parts, egg white, and yolk are whisked in a bowl before they are poured into the stew at the last cooking stage.
• Fresh Tomatoes – The Nigerian egg stew is also called eggs in tomato sauce because the tomatoes are what elevate the taste. They are the second main ingredient in this recipe. Plum tomato varieties should be used as they do not contain excess water that will affect the taste of the stew.
• Red Sweet Pepper – Peppers like bell peppers, banana peppers, and pimentos are sweet peppers. They have mild hotness and a sweet taste that makes the stew yummy.
• Ground Cayenne Pepper – Cayenne peppers are another pepper added to this egg stew recipe. They are hotter than sweet peppers and are the reason for the slight hotness you feel in your mouth while eating this stew.
• Onions – When chopped onions are added to the vegetable oil to saute, a chemical reaction occurs, allowing the onions’ flavor to be infused in the oil. This gives the stew an exceptional onion flavor that makes it more delicious. You can use red, white, or yellow onions.
• Mackerel – Raw mackerel fish is the protein used in this recipe. It adds its seafood flavor to the stew.
• Salt – Add salt to taste.
• Seasoning Cube – Seasoning cubes like knorr chicken cubes are added to taste.
• Curry Powder – Curry has a unique earthy flavor that takes the taste and aroma of Nigerian egg stew from an eighty to a big hundred.
• Dry Thyme Powder – This herb is nutritious and has a woodsy flavor that makes the stew more delicious.
• Fresh Parsley – Parsley has a woodsy flavor and slightly bitter taste that complements the taste and flavor of other spices, curry, and thyme, in the stew.
• Vegetable Oil – The oil is used for frying the stew.

Tools Needed To Prepare Nigerian Egg Stew

• Frying Pan or Saute Pan
• Cooking Spoon
• Small Bowl to contain the egg mix
• Medium Bowl to contain the tomato and pepper mix(chopped or blended)

Ingredient Additions & Substitutions For Nigerian Egg Stew

Fresh Tomatoes

In this recipe, you can substitute chopped tomatoes with coarsely blended tomatoes or smoothly blended tomatoes.

The stew will still have the same flavor if the tomatoes are blended. The only difference is that you will not feel the tomato skin in your mouth like when you use chopped tomatoes.

Also, you can use tomato paste instead of fresh tomatoes. Tomato paste is the processed form of fresh tomato sauce which has a slightly different taste from the raw tomato taste.

It makes cooking faster as you don’t have to blend or chop tomatoes.

Cayenne Pepper

You can substitute ground cayenne pepper with fresh habanero pepper or fresh scotch bonnet pepper.

Red Sweet Pepper

You can substitute red sweet pepper with green sweet pepper (green bell pepper).

If it is chopped, it adds some color to your egg stew. Like the red ones, it is slightly bitter and mildly hot, adding a grassy, interesting flavor to the stew.

Mackerel

Raw mackerel fish can be substituted with mackerel in tomato sauce (Geisha). This is a canned version of fish in tomato sauce.

It adds more tomato flavor to the stew and makes cooking easier since you do not have to cook or remove bones from the fish.

Proteins

You can also substitute mackerel fish with shredded meat or shredded chicken. Either of these proteins is added at the same stage the fish is added in this recipe.

How to Make Nigerian Egg Stew (Step-by-Step)

Ingredients

• 1 mackerel
• 4-5 fresh tomatoes
• 1 red sweet pepper
• 1 onion, chopped
• ¼ cups of vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon curry
• ½ teaspoon of dry thyme
• a small bunch of fresh parsley

Instructions

STEP 1: In a pot, add some salt, seasoning, curry, thyme, half chopped onion to pieces of gutted mackerel and boil for 5-7 minutes. Then remove the fish from the heat, cool, remove the bones and divide into pieces.

STEP 2: In a frying pan on medium heat, add vegetable oil. Sauté the remaining chopped onions. Stir frequently until the onion becomes transparent.

STEP 3: Then add chopped tomatoes and parsley (optional) to the saucepan.

STEP 4: Cook for 4-5 minutes.

STEP 5: Add salt and seasoning, cayenne pepper, and chopped red pepper.

STEP 6: Keep the mixture on fire for another 4-5 minutes, stirring.

STEP 7: Add the cooked fish pieces to the resulting sauce and mix gently, so the fish does not crumble.

STEP 8: Break the eggs into a bowl and beat them. And the whisked eggs to the pan of the stewed fish. After about 2 minutes, stir the dish over low heat.

STEP 9: Remove from heat when the eggs are set. It is important not to over-dry the dish.

What To Serve With Egg Stew

• Boiled yam
• Boiled sweet potatoes
• White rice
• Bread
• Boiled pasta or macaroni
• Cauliflower rice (keto version)
• Low-fat bread (keto version)

Tips About Making Egg Stew

• This recipe calls for two large eggs. If your eggs are small, you can add an extra one to prepare this stew. This prevents the eggs from disappearing into the stew. Nothing worse than an egg stew without visible eggs.
• Remove the seeds from tomatoes and peppers if you use them chopped in this recipe.
• If you are using Fresh tomato puree with fresh peppers (blended tomatoes and peppers), make sure that they are well fried with visible oil before pouring the other ingredients. This helps to prevent excess water that can make the stew less tasty.
• This Nigerian egg stew comes in two types. The one with tiny pieces of eggs and the one with large pieces of eggs. If you want the type with tiny pieces of eggs, make sure to start stirring the stew as soon as you pour the whisked eggs. And, if you want the type with large pieces of eggs, make sure to wait a minute before you start stirring the stew.
• Low to medium heat is what is required for this recipe. High heat can cause the stew to get burnt easily.
• Lastly, as soon as you pour the first ingredient after vegetable oil, start stirring from time to time. If you don’t, the egg stew can get burnt easily.

How To Store Egg Stew

There are two ways to store Nigerian egg stew:

Fridge/Freezer Preservation

This method involves sealing the egg stew in an air-tight container and putting it in the fridge or freezer. When you are ready to eat again, pour it into a container to warm it up for a few minutes.

Note that; you might need to add a little vegetable oil to revive it. The egg stew will last for about 3-4 days in the fridge and months in the freezer.

Traditional Preservation

This involves keeping the egg stew at room temperature after cooking. You only have to warm it up from time to time, usually morning and night. The egg stew can last 3-4 days with this method.

FAQ About Egg Stew

Conclusion

Nigerian egg stew is highly nutritious, highly versatile, and ideal for any time of the day, week, or month.

The versatility comes from you tweaking the ingredients as much as you would love to. It also requires a very short prep time and little culinary skill.

This delicious stew will be cherished by the whole family! Trust me, you might have to get more than enough ingredients to cook it every day from now.

Nigerian egg stew is a dish that I would highly recommend, and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do. If you end up trying this recipe, I’d love to know how it turned out for you.