Okra Stew is a delicious stew often made with tomatoes. This is because Okra and tomatoes are a natural combination making a thick tomato-based stew. Traditionally okra stew is made with chicken, beef or fish. This stew can be made using either fresh okra from the garden or frozen okra. This article is about how to make Ugandan Okra Stew
Ingredients for making Ugandan Okra Stew
The following ingredients can be used for making the Okra Stew
- Okra (Fresh or Frozen)
- Chicken ( you can replace it with beef, pork or lamb)
- Seasonings – like chicken stock,
- Onion,
- Garlic,
- Ginger
- Tomatoes
- Tomato Paste
How to Make the Okra Stew Step by Step
Step 1
Wash the Okra and remove the tops and bottoms, then slice into rounds.
Step 2
Season the Chicken by rubbing the chicken with salt, pepper, and Creole seasoning.
Step 3
Sauté the Chicken; start by heating up the oil using a large pan. Use a medium source of heat. Add the chicken and sauté, stirring frequently until the chicken is browned. Take the cooked chicken out of the pan and set it aside.
Step 4
Add the onions, garlic, and ginger to the pan immediately after removing the chicken, and sauté until the onions are tender and slightly golden. This will take about 4-5 minutes.
Step 5
Season by adding diced tomatoes, smoked paprika, and tomato paste, and add Reyco powder, and bouillon powder. Stir consistently letting it simmer for about 10 minutes.
Step 6
Next, add the chicken stock, and let it simmer for about 10- 15 minutes on moderate heat.
Step 7
Return the chicken to the cooking pan, then add the okra. Reduce your heat to low, and let the stew simmer until the okra is tender, 15-20 minutes. Control the thickness of the stew, in the beginning, making sure it does not get too thick, this is because the okra will thicken it as it cooks.
Step 8
Now it is time to eat. Serve with Rice or Kalo or Matooke and enjoy
Recipe variations for Ugandan Okra Stew
The Okra Stew may be varied in the following ways to rhyme with the taste preferences and intentions
Vegan/ Vegetarian variation
In this recipe we don’t include the meat, we play around with vegetables like carrots, bell pepper, mushrooms, spinach, cauliflower, tofu etc and use vegetable broth instead of Chicken stock.
Meat Variations
Rather than adding chicken, you may replace it with seafood, turkey, pork, beef, rabbit meat, Ham and bacon. These will surely make a delicious flavour as well.
Hot Variations
Spice it with a splash of hot sauce and sprinkles of cayenne and pepper flakes to make your okra stew hot.
Tips to keep in mind when making Ugandan Okra Stew
- Add in plenty of tomatoes because fresh okra tends to get slimy when cooked, thickening our soup base. the tomato’s acidity will help to cut the slime beautifully, which is why we add plenty.
- If you are comfortable with the sliminess of Okra, then slice the okra and fry it in hot oil before adding it to the stew. You can also reduce the slimy texture by soaking the cut okra in vinegar or lemon juice.