In Nigeria, the price of tomatoes over the past few months has witnessed a dramatic surge, causing significant repercussions for consumers and sellers nationwide.
Tomatoes, a key vegetable crop, are an essential ingredient in Nigerian homes as it is typically used for stews and soups.
Unfortunately, the skyrocketing prices have sparked concerns amongst Nigerians, as many find it challenging to purchase the vegetable for consumption.
In reponse to the collective dissatifaction, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, disclosed that the hike in the price of tomatoes is due to an infestation known as Tomato Ebola, which reduced its availability.
It is also important to note that the surge in Tomatoes is adding to the already high cost of living occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy.
As the price of tomatoes continues to surge, Top Society share alternatives stews that are good and can be adopted into diets.
Groundnut Stew
Groundnut stew is literally one of the tastiest stews that can be eaten with rice for lunch or dinner. Originally a product of the Northern part of the country, It’s filling, hearty, delicious and full of easy and cheap ingredients. The Stew doesn’t take long to make. It is a hearty classic stew that uses beef, groundnnut and combined with sweet potatoes, peppers, and onions. It is a dish that is smooth with rich spicy undertones and additional proteins that gives exact stew feels such as Tomatoes.
Tin Tomatoes Stew
Unlike fresh tomatoes, tin tomatoes are processed tomates and can serve as a substitute for tomatoes in terms of savour and taste.
Mix and fry the tin tomatoes with onions, garlic, ginger, and carrots and you would get the same similar effect to a fresh tomato blend, with almost no different
Interestingly, you can mix the tin/ satchet tomatoes with ta red bell peppers to give the perfect stew feel.
Eggplants Stew
Eggplant Stew is a hearty and comforting stew that contains enough vitamins, which is a good alternative.
With ingredients such as fresh eggplant, chickpeas, diced onions, garlic, veggies and spices, gives a delicate sauce which can be eaten with rice, yam, potatoes and plantain, among other dishes.
Although, it lack the reddish colour customary to fresh tomatoes, eggplant has a thick consistency and sweet taste that gives one a filling feels.
Banga Stew
Banga stew or ofe Akwu is a native stew of the Niger Delta and the South Eastern parts of Nigeria. Extracted from palm nuts, the dish is rewarding as it can be used to eat white rice and yam. Ingredients needed are palm fruits or palm fruit concentrate, beef, dry fish, vegetables (scent leaves for Ofe Akwu or dried, crushed bitter leaves, onions, crayfish, stock cubes, iru, salt, and chili pepper to taste.
Vegetable Stew
Vegetable stew combines fluted pumpkin leaves, water leaves, one or two sachet of tomatoes, spices, and mixed protein such as fish or assorted meat, carrots, and onions to make a delicious sauce for rice.
Ofada Stew
Known as Ayamase, Ofada Stew is typically served with Ofada rice or the normal regular white rice, yam, plantain, and even spaghetti. The simple ingredient list includes unripe habanero peppers, green tatashe or green bell peppers, locust bean seasoning (iru, ogiri okpei, or dawadawa), red palm oil, onions, crayfish, assorted meat, and fish.