West African Peanut Stew Recipe

My recollections of groundnut stew—the West African stew of simmered meat and greens coated in a velvety, thick groundnut (aka peanut) sauce—are all the time sparked by chilly climate. I join this hearty, savory, and candy stew to my time within the Netherlands, and the kindness of a Nigerian good friend, ‘Layide. ‘Layide and I are FFFs, Mates for Meals, a really Nigerian saying that speaks about friendships embroidered with the enjoyment and dialogue of meals—primarily meals as a love language. We’d lengthy established that if something would trigger a rift between us, it could seemingly be meals. Luckily, over 17 years of friendship, we haven’t had a single food-related disagreement.

In 2007, ‘Layide and I and our households lived on the identical avenue in Wassenaar, a small village between the Hague and Amsterdam. Our friendship was a lifeline for a lot of causes, together with a shared pantry. When both of us ran out of sugar, salt, or eggs, it was no large deal as a result of we might head up or down the road to borrow some. Often, we’d order giant batches of Nigerian meals—egusi soup, jollof rice, fried rice, fried meat, and ewa riro (stewed beans) from Bose, our resident Nigerian caterer—to share. 

For one order, ‘Layide obtained a batch of creamy, darker-than-beige-but-not-quite-brown groundnut stew from Bose. We ate this stew with delight, savoring its creaminess, nuttiness, and spice. We ladled spoonfuls over freshly boiled white rice, licked the pot and spoons, gnawed on the rooster bones, and did not relaxation till the pot was clear. With this recipe, I’ve got down to recreate that stew and its good mixture of freshly roasted groundnuts, numerous meats and greens, and a restrained hand with the spices so the candy and nutty flavors of the peanuts shine.

What Are Groundnuts?

In Nigeria, groundnuts (Arachis hypogaea) are the identical plant as peanuts within the U.S. The time period groundnuts merely refers to the truth that they develop underground. There are data of groundnuts in West Africa for the reason that 18th century and in early cookbooks. Within the Nineteen Sixties, Nigeria was residence to the groundnut pyramids, constructed from sacks of groundnuts, piled excessive near rail strains in preparation for export. It’s no shock that this ingredient memorialized as an attraction is beloved and utilized in some ways, from snacks to sweetmeats, soups and stews, spice blends, drinks, and creamy porridges, a lot of which I loved rising up and proceed to get pleasure from at this time.

Key Substances in Groundnut Stew

All through West Africa, a thick, velvety and spicy peanut sauce is a key function of groundnut stew, however the stew can comprise a spread of meats and greens. Some variations may have simply rooster or beef, whereas others embody each, and a few don’t have any meat in any respect. I’ve had variations with tofu, mushrooms, and hearty greens as properly.

On this recipe, I take advantage of each rooster thighs and beef chuck—I like the flavour mixture of the 2 proteins and they’re a superb match since they each profit from simmering till spoon tender. You should utilize all rooster or all beef for those who want. In the event you make the stew with all rooster, the cooking time will probably be shorter by a few half hour.

To complete the stew I want a mixture of candy carrots, fragrant onion, and earthy child bok choy for a wide range of contemporary flavors to stability the wealthy peanut sauce. I add the greens at staggered levels as soon as the meat is usually tender to make sure they preserve a little bit of texture and don’t collapse.

Ideas for a Velvety and Nutty Groundnut Stew

Begin with skin-on, shelled groundnuts. Roasting your personal groundnuts is simpler than it sounds, and the freshly roasted deep nutty taste is properly definitely worth the effort. Within the U.S. these are offered as red-skin peanuts, also called Spanish peanuts, and will be present in grocery shops and on-line—simply search for peanuts labeled uncooked, as this selection can be offered roasted. (Be aware that if contemporary shelled peanuts are unavailable, you should use store-bought roasted peanuts or unsweetened peanut butter in a pinch; simply skip the nut roasting steps within the recipe.)

Take the time to brine the groundnuts. Soaking the peanuts in heat salty water attracts taste deep into the groundnuts earlier than you roast them. Not solely does this soak season the peanuts, it additionally neutralizes a few of the phytic acid (like with beans), enhancing the digestibility. I are inclined to soak mine for a minimum of eight hours. 

Roast the peanuts and watch them carefully. Roasting the peanuts develops the stew’s signature nutty, savory taste. Because the peanuts roast, it’s essential to show them each 10 minutes for even roasting, till some start to crackle and pop, and verify on them to stop overcooking. I err on the facet of warning and take away them earlier slightly than later as they proceed cooking out of the oven and if left longer, simply burn. 

Take away the peanut skins. After they cool on a rack, I rub the peanuts to take away the skins. I like to recommend utilizing a kitchen towel to rub them vigorously for extra friction to hurry up the method. As soon as that’s achieved, I put them in a colander set on a tray and shake so the skins fall by the holes, rubbing them additional if want be. Alternatively, you’ll be able to set the groundnuts immediately on a plate or tray, as we do in Nigeria, gently tossing them up and blowing to take away the skins.( It’s okay if just a few skins stay; they’ll dissolve into the stew when cooked.) 

Mix the peanuts properly for a silky clean stew. As soon as the skins have been eliminated, mix the peanuts with a beneficiant quantity of selfmade rooster inventory or retailer purchased low-sodium rooster broth and aromatics to make the flavorful sauce for the stew. As soon as cooked, the stew ought to have the consistency of heavy cream. You may regulate its consistency by cooking and lowering the stew additional for a thicker texture, or skinny it with extra inventory. It ought to be velvety and thick sufficient to cling to the meat.

Serve together with your favourite sides. Spoon the stew over rice, or serve it with cooked plantains, roasted candy potatoes, or your most popular flatbread—I like it with Indian roti and naan.