I get excited when I find a meal that I deem worthy of being included in our family’s highly exclusive circle of regular recipes. In our house, that just means a recipe that every member of our household will like. Pleasing the taste buds of people ranging in age from 9 to 76 is no easy feat. Since this recipe is quite exotic – an enticing combination of fresh ginger, peanut butter, coriander, cumin – I was surprised that it quickly received everyone’s stamp of approval. My husband even said it was right up there with his all time favorite chicken dish, Cuban Chicken Fricassee. This Chicken Peanut Stew is that good.
My 9-year-old daughter found it at the hair salon in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine. She pulled on my sleeve and said, “You should make this. It looks like massaman”. She knows I love ethnic foods and that massaman curry is my favorite Thai dish. She was right. It did look like massaman. I snapped a picture of it with my phone and figured I would make it…one day. My daughter pestered reminded me about it several times a day since then, so here it is. This is a new favorite for us. I cannot find enough adjectives to adequately describe this amazing stew. The ones that first come to mind are luscious, creamy, flavorful, comforting, exotic…and scrumtrulescent.
I’m a bit of a food nerd, meaning I like food history, so I did a little homework. Chicken Peanut Stew is native to West Africa (specifically Mali), where peanuts are known as groundnuts and this stew is known as Groundnut Stew or Maafe. Recipes for peanut stew vary a bit in that area in terms of spices and vegetables used, but most contain peanut butter and tomato. It produces a plentiful, creamy sauce that is typically served with rice, millet, or couscous.
This stew cooks quickly, in under 30 minutes, but tastes like it cooked all day. Most of the time is spent in ingredient prep, mainly chopping and measuring. I took a shortcut by using a store-bought rotisserie chicken, but you can roast your own (a couple of chicken breasts should be enough) . With Thanksgiving coming up, substituting leftover turkey for the chicken is a great idea too. Green onions, green pepper, fresh ginger, garlic, and spices are sautéed first. Then, chicken broth and sweet potatoes are added and boiled until tender. The peanut butter and tomato paste are whisked in next followed by the chicken and crushed tomatoes.
Aside from its amazing flavor, this stew is also rich in protein (chicken and peanuts), vitamin A (sweet potato) and vitamin C (tomatoes). If you or someone in your family has a peanut allergy, you’re probably not reading this anymore. But if you are, you can try this with almond or cashew butter instead. To make it a vegetarian/vegan dish, substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth and add your favorite greens instead of chicken.
This Chicken Peanut Stew, with its creamy and flavorful sauce, easily made its way into our list of family favorites. If you are a fan of peanut-based sauces and hearty stews, this one’s for you.
Chicken Peanut Stew
A creamy & delicious chicken stew filled with exotic West African flavors
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 6 green onions, thinly sliced (whites and green parts separated)
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded & chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 3 Tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled & minced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 42 ounces reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups sweet potato, peeled & cubed ((about 1 large sweet potato))
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter (regular or reduced fat)
- 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
- 4 cups shredded, cooked chicken (or turkey)
- 1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup lightly salted peanuts, chopped (optional, for topping)
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Add oil to a large dutch oven or pot and over medium heat, saute white parts of green onion and green pepper until slightly tender, 4-5 minutes
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Add ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper (if using), salt, and black pepper. Stir and cook for 30 seconds
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Add broth and sweet potato. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer, covered, for 8-10 minutes or until potatoes are tender, but not mushy
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Place peanut butter in a medium-sized bowl and add about 1 cup of hot broth. Whisk until smooth. Add tomato paste, whisking again until smooth.
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Add peanut butter mixture, crushed tomatoes, and chicken to pot. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cilantro.
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Serve with rice and top with green onion slices and chopped peanuts, if desired.
Loosely adapted from Better Homes and Gardens magazine
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