Beef and ugu stew with tomatoes

Name: Beef and ugu stew with tomatoes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4 portions

Lean beef cooked with ugu leaves and tomatoes. Contains haem iron from beef and vitamin C-containing tomatoes, which can help with the absorption of non-haem iron from vegetables.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 60 min
Total: 75 min
Portions: 4

Easy
Pregnancy
High-protein
Iron-containing
Freezer-friendly

Make this recipe

Portions

Ingredient quantities update automatically. Cooking times may need a little adjustment when you change the batch size.

Swap an ingredient

Only swaps that keep this recipe pregnancy-safe are offered. Allergen information below updates when you choose one.

Lower-cost alternative: use skinless chicken instead of lean beef
Ingredient unavailable: use spinach instead of ugu leaves

Ingredients

For 4 portions. Tick items as you go — nothing is changed for anyone else.

600 g lean beef, trimmed and cubed
300 g ugu leaves, washed thoroughly and shredded
4 medium tomatoes, washed and blended
1 medium tatashe (red bell pepper), washed and blended
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp groundnut oil
500 ml water

This recipe contains foods that can contribute to a varied and balanced diet during pregnancy.

Method

Step 1. Boil the beef with the onion for 30–35 minutes until tender, keeping the stock.
Step 2. Heat the oil, add the blended tomato and pepper and cook for 12 minutes until thickened.
Step 3. Return the beef with its stock and simmer for 8 minutes.
Step 4. Stir in the washed ugu and cook for 3–4 minutes.
Step 5. Check the beef is cooked through with no pink meat, then serve with rice, yam or plantain.

Allergens for your selection

No declarable allergens in the ingredients as currently selected.

Ingredient brands and substitutions can change allergen content. Always check the labels on the products you buy.

Food safety

Wash all fruit, vegetables and leafy greens thoroughly in clean water before use.
Cook meat, chicken, fish and eggs thoroughly — no pink meat, no runny egg yolk or white.
Keep raw meat, chicken and fish away from cooked food, and use separate boards, knives and plates.
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate where power allows, and reheat once until piping hot throughout. If you cannot refrigerate safely, cook only what you will eat.
Use pasteurised milk and dairy products, and avoid raw or undercooked foods during pregnancy.
No meal can be described as completely risk-free. Guidance can differ — follow current Nigerian maternal-health advice or the advice of your midwife, doctor or antenatal clinic.
Pregnancy increases nutritional demands. This meal contains iron-containing foods, and the vitamin C-containing vegetables and fruit alongside can help with the absorption of non-haem iron. Food alone will not treat diagnosed anaemia: if you have been diagnosed with anaemia, follow the treatment or supplementation plan given by your clinician.

Allergens

No common declarable allergens are listed in this recipe's ingredients.

Ingredient brands and substitutions can change allergen content. Always check the labels on the products you buy.

Sources

Food-based dietary guidelines for Nigeria — Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria and FAO, reviewed 4 September 2026
Anaemia in women and children — World Health Organization, reviewed 4 September 2026
Five keys to safer food — World Health Organization, reviewed 4 September 2026