How to Prepare Okigbo Stew with Tiger Palm Rice

By Mama Deborah

 

 

A rich, hearty Nigerian stew inspired by the Okigbo region, featuring a unique protein blend of smoked river fish, bush meat (or beef), and garden eggs, simmered in a velvety palm nut base infused with local spices, served over a fragrant tiger palm rice—rice cooked with tiger leaf (a locally found aromatic leaf) and coconut milk.

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Ingredients (Serves 4–6)

For the Stew:

• 1 cup palm nut puree (fresh or canned)

• 500 g smoked river fish, cleaned and deboned

• 300 g beef or bush meat, cubed

• 4 medium garden eggs (African eggplant), roasted and peeled

• 2 medium onions, chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tbsp ground crayfish

• 2 fresh scotch bonnet peppers, blended

• 1 tsp uziza seeds (ground)

• 1 tsp dried scent leaf (optional)

• 2 tbsp palm oil

• Salt to taste

• 1 liter water or stock

For the Tiger Palm Rice:

• 2 cups long-grain rice, washed

• 400 ml coconut milk

• 2 cups water

• 2–3 tiger leaves (or pandan as a substitute)

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tbsp palm oil

 

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Preparatory Method

Step 1: Prepare the Stew Base

1. Roast the garden eggs over an open flame until charred; peel and mash roughly.

2. Blend the scotch bonnet peppers with half of the onions and garlic. Set aside.

3. Heat palm oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Fry the remaining onions and garlic until translucent.

4. Add the ground pepper-onion mixture, and sauté for 5–7 minutes until aromatic.

Step 2: Add Proteins and Flavorings

1. Add beef or bush meat first; cook for 10 minutes until browned.

2. Pour in palm nut puree, then add water or stock to create a thick stew.

3. Stir in ground crayfish, uziza seeds, and garden egg mash.

4. Cover and simmer on low heat for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 3: Incorporate Fish and Herbs

1. Add smoked river fish carefully to prevent breaking.

2. Sprinkle in scent leaf (or substitute), adjust salt, and simmer for another 10 minutes.

3. The stew should be thick, reddish-orange from palm oil, and richly aromatic.

Step 4: Prepare Tiger Palm Rice

1. In a saucepan, combine washed rice, coconut milk, water, salt, and palm oil.

2. Fold in tiger leaves for aroma. Cover and cook on medium-low heat until rice is fluffy and fragrant (about 20 minutes).

3. Remove leaves before serving.

Step 5: Serve

1. Scoop rice onto a large serving platter.

2. Ladle the Okigbo stew over or alongside the rice.

3. Garnish with roasted garden egg slices and a sprinkle of ground crayfish if desired.

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Unique Selling Points

• Authentic Nigerian ingredients: Combines local bush meat, garden eggs, palm nut, and tiger leaf.

• Complex flavor profile: Smoky, spicy, nutty, and slightly tangy with palm nut and roasted garden eggs.

• Balanced meal: Protein from fish and meat, fiber from vegetables, carbohydrates from aromatic rice.

• Visual appeal: Bright orange stew contrasts with green-tinted fragrant rice.

 

Picture by Dooney,s Kitchen