West African Groundnut Stew

Myra’s vegan version of Maafe, A stew of sweet potatoes and eggplant in a tomato peanut sauce.

Making this stew brought back memories. There is something about certain smells. The ground coriander with the fresh ginger and garlic just take me back to my time with Myra. I don’t know much about the history of this recipe, but it’s been around since the 80’s, because I used to make it at the restaurant. I do know that Myra went on a trip around the world, in the early 70’s, and I‘m pretty sure she went to Nigeria, West Africa. Maybe that’s where this recipe comes from?!

Myra usually served this dish with couscous, but it would also be good over rice. It’s sometimes hard to find raw peanuts here in the western states. If you can’t find them, use roasted unsalted peanuts and add them to the stew at the end. The recipe says garnish with banana slices. I prefer plantain chips. I hope the aroma takes you to a good memory too!

West African Groundnut Stew

A vegan stew of sweet potatoes and eggplant in a tomato peanut sauce.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Entrees and Favorite Rice Combinations

Cuisine African American

Servings 6 to 8 servings

Equipment

• 1 2 quart pot to cook the sweet potatoes
• 1 large 4 quart pot for the stew
• 1 knife and cutting board

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups 1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes (about 1 pound)
• 2-3 TBLS vegetable oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 TBLS fresh ginger root, sliced across the grain and minced
• 3 TBLS ground coriander
• 1/4 teas. cayenne
• 2 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 1 large can diced tomatoes (28 oz.)
• 4 cups eggplant, cubed (you can peel it, not necessary) (1 medium eggplant, about a pound)
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 3 TBLS soy sauce
• 1 cups raw peanuts (use roasted unsalted if you can't find raw)
• 1/4 cup peanut butter

Instructions

 

• Cut the sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes and boil in your small pot in water just to cover. Sweet potatoes should be just tender (about 5 minutes after it boils).

  Set aside. Do not drain.
• In your larger pot, sauté the garlic, ginger and spices in oil for about one minute on medium, Don't let the garlic brown, it will make it bitter.
• Add the onions and cook until soft. If the spices start to stick, add a little water from the sweet potatoes to your pot.

  Add the can of tomatoes, the eggplant cubes and enough water from the sweet potatoes to just cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on.
• Add the green peppers and the raw peanuts, if using. Add the soy sauce. Put the lid on and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the green peppers are tender.

  Add the roasted peanuts (if using) and the peanut butter and the sweet potatoes. Add as much liquid from the sweet potatoes as you need to get everything to combine. Turn off the heat and serve over couscous or rice.

  Garnish with banana slices or plantain chips.

Keyword coriander, Eggplant, peanuts, Sweet potato, tomatoes