Since Nigerians are avid consumers of stew, tomatoes hold a cherished place as a key ingredient in many traditional recipes. However, tomato prices have skyrocketed recently, compelling many Nigerians to seek alternative sauces for their daily meals. In light of this, here is a compilation of five cost-effective, locally sourced stews and sauces that can be prepared without using tomatoes.
Garden Egg Sauce
Garden Egg Sauce, a well-loved delicacy in southern Nigeria, is an outstanding alternative to tomato stew. Key ingredients for this dish include garden eggs (whether purple aubergine, white, or green), palm oil, smoked fish, ground pepper (chilli or scotch bonnet), rinsed iru, onions, crayfish, and salt to taste. This adaptable sauce perfectly complements rice, yam, or plantain.
Pumpkin Leaf Sauce
Pumpkin leaves, locally called Ugu, are extensively used in Nigeria. Pumpkin Leaf Sauce is delicious and nutritious, made by sautéing fluted pumpkin leaves with onions. This quick and easy sauce requires chopped pumpkin leaves, optionally seasoned beef or chicken, meat stock, vegetable oil, chilli pepper, onions, seasoning, and salt to taste.
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