Garden Egg Stew: How to make Nigerian Eggplant Sauce

Garden Egg Stew (also known as aubergine stew or Nigerian eggplant sauce) is a yummy Nigerian stew made with fresh garden eggs.

This garden Egg Stew is the perfect match for:

• Agidi/Eko
• Boiled white rice
• Potatoes (Boiled)
• Ripe/unripe plantains (Boiled)
• Boiled white puna yam (the best combo)

Why Are Garden Egg Stew and Boiled White Puna Yam (The Best Combination)

I don’t think there is a better pairing to freshly boiled yam than garden egg sauce.

Whenever I crave for garden egg sauce, its boiled yam that comes to mind though there are other alternatives as well

Garden egg can also be consumed raw when washed thoroughly. It goes well with groundnut and Nigerian peanut butter also known as ose oji in Igbo land.

Some people prefer to boil their garden eggs first so they can easily peel off the skin, but I don’t.  Although not examined yet, I feel that prolonged boiling takes away some of the nutrients.

Also, I prefer a little bit of crunch in my garden egg stew, and boiling never gives me that.

Nevertheless, if you still feel the need to peel the skin off, try steaming rather than boiling, this will limit the mushiness as well.

Garden Egg Stew Benefits

Garden eggs are packed with so many health benefits which makes this recipe a very healthy one. This low-calorie vegetable feature in the African diet

With garden egg as the main ingredient, this sauce offers a lot of nutritional benefits which include:

1. Eggplants are rich in fiber and antioxidants. A serving of eggplant can provide at least 5% of a person’s daily requirement of fiber, copper, manganese, B-6, and thiamine. It also contains other vitamins and minerals.
2. Rich in flavonoids, garden eggs aid in promoting heart health and lessen the risk of high blood pressure.
3. Eggplant and weight loss – Eggplant is a fruit though categorized under vegetables; if you want to lose weight eat the fresh garden egg.
4. This is because, when you take a garden egg, it fills the tummy because of its fibre content and this helps to reduce the food you consume, thereby reducing the calories and body weight. It is also rich in fibre which can help increase satisfaction and reduce appetite.
5. Furthermore, readings have shown that garden eggs are rich in antioxidants that can help protect the liver from toxins.
6. Garden eggs can also aid to ease blood flow to the brain. This develops brain memory and may reduce the risk of age-related disorders.

Garden Egg Stew Recipe

Garden Egg Sauce is one of the easiest and healthiest sauces to prepare.

To make garden egg sauce, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• Garden Egg (examine the garden eggs before buying and get rid of those with brown spots or mottled flesh.

Ensure you buy baby garden eggs that have just matured.

This is because the seeds are still soft and can be easily ground. You can buy the green garden egg, white garden egg, or yellow variety of garden egg, depending on your liking).

• Palm oil
• Onions
• Bell pepper
• Smoked fish
• Crayfish
• Salt and seasoning to taste
• Locust beans (Iru) – Optional

Locust bean is a traditional seasoning that adds a unique flavor to soups and stews. You can buy it in the local markets.

Method

1. Firstly, rinse the garden eggs thoroughly, remove the stalks, and cut into small chunks. Place the chunks into a blender and add just enough water to blend the garden eggs. Blend until smooth.
2. Secondly, pour the puree into a pot and boil till the water is dried up.
3. Thirdly, clean and dress the fish. Chop the pepper and onions into small pieces. Set aside
4. Fourthly, pour palm oil into a clean pot and allow it to heat up. Do not bleach it, and then add the chopped onions and pepper and fry for about 2 minutes.
5. Please note that the palm oil adds color to this sauce. This means that when you fry with vegetable oil, it does not look as appetizing or come out as nice.
6. Add enough palm oil to fry the garden egg puree, fry till the oil is separated from the puree. Remember, palm oil is good for you!
7. After that, add the Ogiri okpei (iru) which is a traditional seasoning made from locust beans. If you do not have it, use Ogiri Igbo or stock cubes.
8. Then, add habanero pepper blend and salt to your taste.
9. Finally, add the smoked fish, stir, cover and leave to simmer and it’s done

Enjoy!