West African Peanut Stew

It is indeed true that we eat with our eyes first; at least, it is in my case. The moment I saw the photo for this West African Peanut Stew on COOKIE + kate, I knew this was a stew I wanted to try as soon as I got time.

I researched the very many variations of this stew (or soup, depending on its consistency) and found one that was perfect for me. What I loved about this soup was that it was very very versatile and could be adapted to suit almost any palate.

This West African Peanut Stew is chunky because of the vegetables yet silky because of the peanut butter. In addition, you could add almost any vegetable you wanted to it and you could make it sweet or spicy as you prefer.

Do try it and I promise you will keep coming back for more.

How to Make West African Peanut Stew

Serves: 4

Time: 45 Minutes

Ingredients

1. Finely Diced Potato – 1/4 Cup
2. Finely Diced Sweet Potato – 1/4 Cup
3. Finely Diced Carrot – 1/4 Cup
4. Finely Diced Onion – 1/4 Cup
5. Finely Chopped Spinach – 1 Cup
6. Tomato Puree – 2/3 Cup
7. Chunk Peanut Butter – 2/3 Cup
8. Finely Chopped Garlic – 1 tsp
9. Finely Grated Ginger – 1 tsp
10. Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp (Reduce if you want a sweeter taste)
11. Oil – 1 tbsp
12. Water or Vegetable Stock – 3 to 4 Cups
13. Salt to Taste
14. Tabasco or Sriracha Sauce – To Taste (optional)

Method

1. Heat the oil.
2. Add the onion, ginger and garlic.
3. Fry till the onion is translucent.
4. Add the tomato puree and cook till the water evapourates.
5. Add the potato, sweet potato, carrot, and spinach.
6. Saute for 2 minutes.
7. Add the spinach.
8. Add 2 cups of water or vegetable stock.
9. Cook covered till the root vegetables soften.
10. Add the chilli powder, salt, and peanut butter.
11. Mix well till the stew is thick and there are no lumps of peanut butter.
12. Add water or vegetable stock, as required.
13. Over medium heat, let the stew simmer for about 5 minutes.
14. Turn off the heat.
15. Add the hot Sriracha or Tabasco Sauce, if needed.
16. Mix well.
17. Divide the West African Peanut Stew into individual serving bowls.
18. Garnish with roasted crushed peanuts.
19. Enjoy!

Tips

• If you prefer your stew to be sweetish, increase the quantity of carrots and reduce the amount of red chilli powder.
• If you prefer your stew to be spicy, add the hot sauce or increase the quantity of red chilli powder.
• If you prefer a soupy consistency, add more water.
• If you do not have Peanut Butter at home:
  • Roast 3/4 cup of peanuts.
  • Rub them between your palms to remove the skin.
  • Grind the roasted, skinned peanuts with 1 tbsp oil and 1 tsp sugar into a coarse paste. Do not add any water.

As with all stews, the West African Peanut Stew tastes better the next day! 🙂