SARDINE STEW

This is a stew I consider important for students like me. Why I say so is because its budget friendly, and you've got an added advantage by making use of sardine.
Firstly, sardines are already made that is, precooked making your meal preparation superfast unlike you gutting or cleaning the fish and considering how stressful academics can be it's an incredible option. Secondly, the sardine contains oil about one cooking spoon of oil which makes you use lesser oil if at all you'll be adding more to it.

Don't blame me for my piscivorous nature I grew up in a family where we predominately ate fish not that we don't eat meat or other poultry produce but it wasn't just always on the menu as fish. Yoruba (an ethnic group in Southwest, Nigeria) methodology even gave credence to the consumption of fish. Well, one I'm quite familiar with, considers a particular type of fish as a food for "students". I see fish as everyone's food and I love fish like that. In the comments, tell me the rate at which you love fish.


Sardine stew can serve as a rich stew base for other meals, can be taken with pasta, rice, yam, potatao, couscous, even swallow etc.

For that infusion, I added some aromatic spices and seasoning to the stew which you can totally omit but for that TD's experience I consider it necessary to add.

Watch the instructional video


Now, let's cook!

INGREDIENTS:
Pepper blend mix { Tomatoes, Paprika pepper (tatashe), Scotch bonnet pepper (rodo), Chili pepper (shombo) }
Tomatoe purée
Sardine ( 2-3can)
Onion
Green Bell Pepper / Spring onions
Cinnamon stick
Grated ginger & garlic
Curry & dried thyme
Salt
Seasoning (preferable fish seasoning)

STEPS / PROCEDURE:

Step 1: Collect sardine oil in a bowl and set aside.

TD's Tip: Clean the surface of can with a wipe or kitchen paper. Most times dirts settle on this surface. Carefully, open the can, collect only sardine oil in a bowl and leave the sardine in can till its required.


Step 2: Place pot on heat, add oil and another cooking spoon of oil, onions, ginger & garlic, tomatoe purée, pepper blend mix and stir.

TD's Tip: I added additional cooking spoon of oil which is about 15ml or 1TBSP of oil. This is to compliment the sardine oil you can add or totally omit.

Step 3: Add cinammon stick, curry & dried thyme, seasoning and salt. Stir till it's well combined.

Stew 4: Slow cook for 7minutes till it all comes to a simmer. Add the sardine and diced green bell peppers.

TD's Tip: You'll observe that I didn't add the sardine until the very last minute of the cooking process, it's for a reason: The sardine is precooked and I don't want it to disintegrate or breakup. Fish is expected to be handled gently because if not handled well it has tendencies of disintegrating.

Step 5: Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Take off heat and serve with rice, yam, potato etc.

Bon appetite!