Serves 8
90 min
African Stew
Recipe GLPR2ec4e5c3dc9086
A rich and warming one-pot stew featuring tender chicken and vegetables simmered in a creamy peanut butter sauce. This West African classic combines succulent chicken, earthy vegetables, and a lightly spiced peanut base for a deeply satisfying meal.
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Ingredients
2 whole chickens, cut into pieces
3/4 cup peanut oil
2 large onions, chopped
3 tomatoes, peeled and chunked
4 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 teaspoon Vegesal (vegetable seasoning salt)
1 cup peanut butter
3 sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
6 carrots, thickly sliced in rounds
12 okra pods, whole or sliced
3 bell peppers (red, green, yellow, or orange), de-seeded and diced
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or 1 fresh chile pepper
Directions
Heat the peanut oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches if needed, brown the chicken pieces on all sides until golden, about 8-10 minutes total. Remove the chicken and set aside.
In the same pot with the remaining oil, add the chopped onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they turn golden brown and soft, about 5 minutes. Peel the fresh tomatoes if desired, then chop them into chunks.
Stir the tomato paste into the pot with the onions, mixing well. Add the chopped tomatoes and return the browned chicken pieces to the pot.
Pour 4 cups of water into the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Add the vegetable seasoning salt and stir to combine.
While the mixture simmers gently, ladle some of the hot broth into a separate bowl. Stir the peanut butter into the hot broth until smooth, then gradually pour this mixture back into the pot, stirring constantly to incorporate evenly.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the sweet potato chunks to the pot and simmer for about 5 minutes. Then add the carrot rounds and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Add the okra pods to the pot and simmer for 5 minutes. Then add the diced bell peppers and simmer for 5 more minutes.
Grind or crush the remaining raw onion together with the cayenne pepper (or fresh chile) using a mortar and pestle or the side of a knife. Stir this mixture into the stew and continue simmering for the final 10 minutes of cooking.
The stew is done when the chicken is cooked through (reaching an internal temperature of 165°F) and all vegetables are tender. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed before serving.
