Kadiri Valerie How to Get Smooth Tomato Puree Without a Blender

Have you ever been in a situation where you are
just about to blend some tomatoes and NEPA (abi
na PHCN) strikes?
Or you’ve driven that blender so hard it just
decides to pack up on you?
OK, you are still planning to buy a blender?
Here’s how to get smooth tomato puree without a
blender.
Directions
1. Wash and remove the seeds from the tomatoes.
The best tomatoes for Nigerian recipes are plum
tomatoes known as Tomato Jos in Nigeria.
2. Cut them into small pieces.
3. Boil on medium heat till soft. The water should not
dry completely.
4. While still hot, pass the boiled tomato pieces
through a sieve with a wire mesh. The sieve
should be placed on a pot such that the smooth
puree falls into that pot. Use a spoon or wooden
spatula to stir the boiled tomatoes and watch them
slowly pass through the mesh. This mesh serves
as a grinder for the puree. Perforated sieves do not
do a good job of this and it takes longer.
5. When done, you’ll have very smooth tomato puree
in the pot and tomato skin in the sieve.
6. Set the pot on your cooker/stove and boil on
medium heat till all the water dries up.
7. The tomato puree is ready to be fried for Nigerian
Beef/Chicken Stew or for Tomato Stew .