Vegetable + Tomato + Assorted Meat Sauce - Versatility, Health Benefits and Recipes
It's my pleasure to share with you all my recipes for 'Vegetable + Tomato + Assorted Meat Sauce'. I'll begin by informing you of the health benefits of this delicacy, then I'll go on to share my recipe before hinting at the versatility of this delicacy. I hope you'll find it delicious.
This delicacy consists primarily of tomatoes, fluted pumpkin leaves (popularly called 'ugwu' in Nigeria), and assorted meat (basically the inner members of a cow).
Pound for pound, assorted meat (otherwise called organ meat) is more nutritious than normal muscle meat. Aside from being an excellent protein source, they are also rich in folate, vitamins B12, A, D, K, and E, iron, magnesium, zinc, and selenium
For benefits, animal protein provides all nine essential amino acids that the body needs to function effectively Source.
Organ meats have high-quality protein which helps build and retain body mass. They also are a source of choline which is essential for the health of the brain, liver, and muscle.
Still on protein, fluted pumpkin leaves contain the required amount of protein needed for hormone balancing and repair of tissues. The plant helps prevent the onset of kidney disease like kidney stones due to its high phosphorus content. It is also rich in antioxidants as well as dietary fibers and vitamins A & C.
Tomato is good for the heart and for preventing different types of cancers including colorectal, prostate, and stomach cancers.
Let's get down to cooking. To prepare this delicacy, here is the full list of ingredients you'll need.
- Vegetable oil (250mL)
- Stock cubes (3 small pieces)
- Any meat spice of your choice
- Fresh pepper (minimum of 4 small pieces or to taste)
- Crayfish (~ 0.3kg)
- Tomatoes (7 medium whole sizes)
- Assorted meat (~1.5kg)
- Fluted pumpkins (~1kg)
- Onion (1 big whole bulb)
- Salt to taste
Preparation
Step 1
Dice your onions and tomatoes as well as your fluted pumpkin leaves (ensure to wash thoroughly). Pound/grind your fresh pepper and crayfish. You can pound/grind your crayfish and pepper together but ensure you grind the pepper first and remove some quantity for steaming the meat before adding the crayfish.
My fluted pumpkin was dice by the vendor I bought it from. I had to wash it more thoroughly.
Step 2
Wash the meat thoroughly, it might be very dirty. Then place it into a pot of 0.5L of boiling water and allow to boil for about 10mins (depending on your cooker, cookers faster than kerosene stoves should imply lesser times).
At the expiration of this time, add some diced onions, ground pepper, 2 stock cubes, and salt to taste. Stir gently and allow to cook till the meat gets tender. Add water from time to time if necessary.
Step 3
After the meat must have cooked, take out the meat and the stock from the pot and set it aside. Place pot a clean dry pot on the cooker and pour 250mL of vegetable oil when the pot gets hot. Allow the oil to get very hot then add your diced tomatoes and onions and allow to fry until the tomato gets dried.
Step 4
After the tomatoes must have been well fried, add your ground crayfish and pepper, the remaining stock cube, your meat and meat stock, your spices, and salt to taste. Then stir gently for an even mixture. Add a little water if necessary.
Allow the mixture to cook for about 2 mins.
Step 5
Add your properly washed fluted pumpkin leaves and stir gently. Then continue cooking for a very short time. For optimal results, don't allow the vegetable to cook for long before bringing down your sauce from the cooker.
One good thing about this delicacy aside from its health benefits is its versatility. Her, I ate it with boiled rice and fried plantain but you can also eat it with the following -
- Boiled unripe plantain
- Boiled potatoes
- Fufu
- Semovita
- Pounded yam
- Boiled yam, etc.
Enjoying my vegetable + tomato + assorted meat sauce with boiled rice and fried plaintain
