West African Style Peanut Stew
West African Style Peanut Stew DREAMS!
I was inspired to make this because a friend of mine mentioned having this amazing peanut stew years ago and she still thinks about it, but I had never heard of anything like it. So I started doing some research to see what it was all the hype was about. The more I researched, the more I knew I HAD to try it. This type of stew has many names - groundnut stew or Maafe are the most common.
The recipe I developed is more of an Americanized spin on a Senagalese style because it has a traditional meat protein combined with peanuts and greens. I am lazy and did not make my peanut butter or rotisserie chicken, but I figured we could keep that between us. The cooking skill required is low and it is a great way to impress people with something different plus it is such a beautifully hearty dish.
Tips:
- As with every soup, add your solids before your liquids to minimize splash.
- Try to use natural peanut butter! The additives in the more generic store brands can really impact the flavor because of the added sugars. Also, KEEP TASTING YOUR STEW because every peanut butter will be different.
- Keep extra broth on hand to keep adding here. Peanut butter is DENSE. Each peanut butter can have a different composition. Keep extra so you can thin it out as needed.
- This can EASILY be made without the chicken to be a delightfully filling vegetarian dish.
- The spice on the recipe as I wrote it is moderate, if you want more spice, keep some seeds in the pepper or use a hotter pepper.
Prep Time: 25-35 Mins
Cook Time: 1 Hour
Serves: 4-6 People
The Gang’s Together! Peanut Stew Ingredients!
Ingredients:
- 1 Rotisserie Chicken, Shredded
- 1 15.5 oz can Chickpeas (or Garbanzo Beans)
- 2 15.5 oz can Diced Tomatoes
- 48 oz Vegetable Broth (1 1/2 Cartons, but feel free to add as needed)
- 4 Garlic Cloves, Diced
- 1 Medium Yellow Onion, Diced
- 1 Serrano Pepper, Seeded & Diced
- 1 28 oz can Crushed Tomatoes
- 2 Cups Kale, Chopped & Stemmed
- 1 1/2 Cups Creamy Natural Peanut Butter
- 1 Sweet Potato, Peeled & Diced Small
- 2 Tblspns Tomato Paste
- 1 1/2 Tblspn Smoked Paprika
- 1 Tblspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 1/2 Tspns Cumin
- 2 1/2 Tspns Ginger
- 1 1/2 Tspn Coriander
- 1 Tspn Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Tspn Salt
- 1/2 Tspn Pepper
- 1/2 Tspn Chili Powder
Optional:
- Can be served with rice
Garnish:
- Cilantro
- Crushed Peanuts
Be very liberal with your garnish because they add a lot of flavor.
Instructions:
1. Start by adding the olive oil, garlic, onions, tomato paste & all seasonings into a pot on medium low heat. Simmer for about 3-5 minutes until the onions start to soften.
2. Add the serrano pepper to the pot and saute for another 2 minutes.
The beginning of something beautiful
3. Mix the chickpeas, diced tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, and sweet potato into the pot. Stir well and let simmer for about 5-7 minutes.
4. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, broth, and peanut butter. Stir for about 15 seconds and turn up the heat to medium-high and let simmer again for about 15 minutes or until the sweet potatoes soften. Keep an eye on it at this stage and add more broth or water as needed to loosen it up. Peanut butter is dense and can cook down quickly. Stay close by to keep stirring and keeping an eye on everything.
Time to mix it up!
5. Once the sweet potatoes have softened, lower the heat back to medium low for 45 minutes (or as long as you wish) and just let all those flavors come together.
6. About 5 minutes before serving, fold in the kale and chicken to let them warm up and also to let the kale cook down a bit.
Simmering HEAVEN!
7. Garnish up your dish! Don't be stingy! This pairs well with carbs and cold day!
Enjoy!
