West African chicken and peanut stew
This is quick to make, rich and warming. And children seem to love it. Peanut stews are found all over West Africa. They used to be made with native groundnuts before the peanut arrived there in the 16th century. You can make your own peanut butter for this – that’s what they do there – but since this is, for me, an easy midweek meal I reach for a jar.
The texture of African peanut stews varies depending on the region – some are thin, others thick – and they are served with millet or rice. Vegetables vary; okra (which I hate) often appears, so use it if you like it. You can also use carrots or sweet potatoes. The important thing is to cut the richness of the peanuts with spices – especially chilli – and lime juice. Coriander is my own addition as, in Africa, it is often served with khouthia (hibiscus leaf conserve), which is hard to find.
Ingredients
- 300 g 10½oz crunchy peanut butter
- 500 ml 18fl oz chicken stock
- 3 tbsp flavourless vegetable oil
- 800 g 1lb 12oz skinless boneless chicken thighs
- 2 large onions thinly sliced
- 6 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 30 g 1oz root ginger, grated
- 3 tsp ground coriander
- 3 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- 1 Scotch bonnet chilli stalk removed, chopped
- 400 g can of chopped tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and plenty of pepper
- 325 g 11½oz pumpkin, deseeded and peeled
- 2 red peppers sliced
- juice of ½–1 lime
- about 3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
- 1 red chilli deseeded and very finely sliced (optional)
Instructions
- To make the peanut sauce, put the peanut butter in a jug.
- Heat the chicken stock to boiling, pour it over and stir it to melt the peanut butter.
- Keep stirring until it has dissolved.
- Set this aside.
- Heat the oil in a casserole and brown the chicken on each side over a medium heat.
- Do this in batches or you won’t get a good colour; you are not trying to cook the chicken, just colour it well.
- As the chicken is browned, lift it out and put it into a dish.
- Add the onions and fry until golden, about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and ginger and cook for two minutes, then add all the dry spices and cook for another two minutes.
- Stir in the Scotch bonnet, canned tomatoes and bay leaves.
- Season.
- Cut the pumpkin flesh into 2cm (¾in) chunks and add to the pot with the peppers and the peanut mixture.
- Bring to the boil, season and reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Cook for 10 minutes.
- Return the chicken to the pan, with any juices that have come out of it.
- Cook gently – partially covered – until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.
- It will take about 25 minutes.
- Stir fairly frequently, or the peanut mixture tends to stick to the pan.
- Your mixture should be pretty thick and rich.
- If it seems a little thin, remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and continue to cook until it reaches the consistency you want, then return the chicken and heat it through.
- Add the lime juice, taste, then adjust the seasoning if it needs it.
- Scatter the top with the coriander and chilli (unless you have found the dish too hot already) and serve with boiled rice.
