Nigerian · intermediate
Nigerian Charred Pepper Buka Stew With Beef
A deeply savory and smoky Nigerian buka-style pepper stew made with charred red bell peppers, onions, tender beef, and rich red palm oil. Perfect served alongside steamed white rice or boiled plantains.
- PREP TIME
- 15 min
- COOK TIME
- 45 min
- SERVES
- 4
Good things
start in the kitchen.
LET’S MAKE IT
Step by step
- 01
Season beef chuck cubes with half a teaspoon of salt and half of the diced onion; cook in a pot over medium-high heat for 6 minutes, then pour in beef broth and simmer for 25 minutes until tender. Drain and reserve broth.
- 02
Broil red bell peppers, tomatoes, scotch bonnets, and halved red onion on a sheet pan for 10 minutes until skin is lightly charred.
- 03
Pulse the charred peppers, tomatoes, and halved onion in a food processor until a coarse, chunky pepper base forms.
- 04
Heat red palm oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes until fully hot and clear.
- 05
Add remaining diced onion to the palm oil and cook for 4 minutes until softened and translucent.
- 06
Stir in the coarse pepper base and reserved beef broth; simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until oil rises to the surface.
- 07
Add the cooked beef cubes into the sauce, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes before serving hot.
A LITTLE KITCHEN KNOW-HOW
Coarse Pepper Base Reduction
Blending aromatics coarsely rather than fine-pureeing allows moisture to evaporate faster, building a thick textured stew base.
Notes from the kitchen
- Broiling the peppers before blending gives the stew its authentic buka smoky flavour without burning the oil.
- Keep heat at medium-low when simmer-frying the pepper mixture so the palm oil renders cleanly without smoking.
- Original home-cooking adaptation inspired by Nigerian; regional versions vary.
- Use halal-certified meat, poultry, stock, sauces, cheese and other processed ingredients. Check labels and avoid cross-contamination. Recipe screening is not halal certification.