PHUONG KHANH: Hello, we’re A and B. Welcome to “Food Delight”, which introduces interesting dishes and how to make them.

NHAT QUYNH: If you are craving a tasty soup with meat, all kinds of meat, Buka stew is not a bad choice.

PHUONG KHANH: This stew is loaded with assorted meats, and different types of pepper which gives it layers of flavours.

NHAT QUYNH: In the show today, we welcome back Laykay Adepoju, who will tell us how to make this simple, yet delicious dish. 

LAYKAY: Hello guys, thanks for having me today. Before introducing  the recipe, I want to say that stew is very popular in Nigeria’s cooking. Wherever in the world a Nigerian is, there will be stew in the fridge. Even people who don’t cook, manage to make stew. And Buka Stew is so special. It has the power to make you want to eat more even when you are not hungry.

PHUONG KHANH: Ooohhhhh, so appealing. Please let us in on the recipe.

LAYKAY: Okay! First, you need to prepare green and red bell pepper. I prefer more red than green. Let’s say 4 red and 2 green bell peppers, then onions, tomatoes, vegetable oil, some salt and seasoning, and the meat. All kinds of meat you like. Just go to the market, beef, pork, lamb, any part of the animal you find delicious.

Buka Stew (Photo: Dooney's Kitchen)

PHUONG KHANH: My choice is beef and pork, the 2 most popular kinds of meat we can find in Vietnam.

LAYKAY: Perfect. Now, let’s get to the cooking. I always start with roasting the peppers. This helps to dry off the moisture and also adds a smokey flavour to my Buka Stew.

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees, pop the blended peppers in a roasting tray and roast for 30-40 minutes. Add in chopped onion and cook them until a bit yellow. This stew is rather oily. Use a good amount of oil depending on the quantity of the meat.

Now, wash and season your meats, boil them till tender on medium heat. Then take them out and set aside. Keep the stock as we’ll be using it later. 

Pour the meat into a large pot, then add in the mixture of pepper and garlic. Now it’s time to use the meat stock. Cook them together in medium heat. Add in Knorr chicken, that’s the most suitable seasoning in my opinion. You can also add a little curry powder, and salt if needed. Allow the stew to cook till the water level drops and the oil starts to show on the top. And that’s it. A delicious bowl of Buka stew is ready.

PHUONG KHANH: It’s simple. And it’s quite similar to a lot of stew in Vietnam.

NHAT QUYNH: And the very first name that pops up in my head is “sốt vang”, a delicious kind of beef stew, which is best served with bread. For Buka stew, what can be eaten with it?

LAYKAY: Any staple food you can think of, rice, pasta, yam, and of course, bread.

NHAT QUYNH: Yeah, sounds so good. I really want to run to my kitchen to try this. Thank you Laykay for sharing!

PHUONG KHANH: How about you guys. Let us know your experience with this recipe. Follow us on our Facebook Fanpage - VOV5 English Service - or email us at englishsection@vov.vn.

NHAT QUYNH: We love hearing from you. Goodbye.