Buka Stew With Assorted Meats (Obe Ata Recipe)

Buka stew is the classic Yoruba stew that has been made popular by local buka joints in western Nigeria. Nigerians love eating in bukas because food is cheaper, fresh and provides diverse local dishes without the stress of cooking.

This Recipe is simple, versatile, delicious and easy to make. It is made with assorted meat, cooked in tomato base (Nigerian pepper mix) and palm oil. Let us show you how to make this perfect Nigerian stew in easy steps.

What Is Buka Stew Made Of?

The word “Buka” is a very popular word in Nigeria, originating from the northern part of the country. It means “hole in wall” based on the size of these local restaurants.

‘Iya Basira’s’ stew or Buka stew has been saving lives since forever, ((Iya Basira is an alias for some of the many women who own a Buka or ‘mama put’ in common parlance)). What defines this recipe is the use of palm oil and open-flame cooking. It’s traditionally prepared with numerous parts of cow which are deep-fried before being added to the stew.

How To Make Buka Stew

Buka stew is different from the regular stew prepared. It has a distinct taste and delicious smell that would attract you from afar. It is prepared with soft peppers, not spoiled but soft, also the palm oil is bleached to prepare this stew.

Seasonings used in preparing the stew are minimal, too much seasoning/spices will alter the taste. I remember when my mom was still in the food business she fried onions in bleached oil (this also contributes to the taste) before other ingredients.

To cook this stew, it is important to use palm oil as it can’t be compromised at all in this dish. If you don’t want to go 100% on the palm oil, do a half-and-half with vegetable oil. Also, make sure the ratio of the red bell you use is more than the tomatoes this will help achieve a rich stew color and great taste.

You can grill, boil then fry the meat you want to use for this recipe. Different parts (intestines, tripes, beef etc.) of the meat can be used.

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Best Tips On How To Make Buka Stew

• Work with a few seasonings: For a traditional buka stew, no extra spices are required except salt and seasoning cubes, these are the few seasonings that are needed for the stew to taste amazing.
• One important tip for cooking this recipe is simply the ratio of tatashe (bell peppers), rodo (scotch bonnet) onions and tomatoes, like I have mentioned earlier, this stew is not like the usual stew we make every day using equal amounts of bell peppers and tomatoes such as this fish stew. It is actually a pepper-based stew, so in this case, you have to use many peppers as your base but keep the tomato simple.
• If you want to achieve the authentic flavor of Yoruba buka stew, cook your stew from start to finish with the pot open. Covering it causes condensation, which in turn affects the authentic flavor of buka stew.
• Don’t use any other oil apart from palm oil, it will affect the authentic aroma and taste of buka stew.
• Make use of different meat to prepare this stew, goat meat adds a unique smoky flavor to this stew, and combine it with other parts of meat you like.
• If you are the type that doesn’t really like peppery food, keep it simple and stay safe, you can take some of the seeds from the bell pepper and add a few habanero peppers the way you want.
• Season the meat properly and add enough water to extract delicious stock, the stock will be added to the buka stew later to enhance the flavor. However, you can use grilled meat instead of having to fry your meat from scratch.
• Buka stew is prepared with bleached palm oil: to bleach the palm oil, pour the oil into a pot, cover the pot and set it on medium heat for 10- 15 minutes, leave the pot and the oil to cool without opening it to prevent smoke or so that you don’t get choked due to smoky oil. You will place the pot back on heat once you are ready to fry the meat.

What To Serve With Buka Stew

This buka stew can be served with boiled white rice, boiled beans, boiled white yam, fried plantains, and fried potatoes, you can even dip stretchy soft bread (also known as Agege Bread) into it. Yummy!

NB: Buka stew is the classic Yoruba stew that has been made popular by local buka joints in western Nigeria. The word “Buka” is a very popular word in Nigeria, originating from the northern part of the country.