African Peanut Stew

This rich, warming African peanut stew is a wonderful comfort that nourishes both body and soul. Prepared with beef stew meat simmered until tender in a savory peanut butter-infused sauce brimming with spices, ginger, garlic, plus aromatic veggies, sweet potatoes, and greens, this recipe is a truly unique and mouthwatering dish!

West African comfort food

The first time that I tasted African peanut stew was in my late twenties, in culinary school.

It was in a class called “International Cuisine”, and I vividly remember loving that course. I was introduced to so many new and mouthwatering dishes. Many of them called for unique ingredient combinations, originating from various beautiful cultures.

To prepare for class, I remember scanning the list of ingredients for the African peanut stew recipe (“maafe” or “mafe” as it's also called). I could hardly wait to taste the end result.

It was so hearty and warming, with ingredients such as beef, ginger, garlic, Scotch bonnet peppers, spices, and the star ingredient, peanut butter.

This was a novel combination of ingredients to me at the time. But when I tasted the stew, I absolutely fell in love with it. Ever since, I've dreamt of it often because of how unique and comforting it was.

So when I recently had a craving for a rich and comforting stew to take the chill off a cold day, African peanut stew came to mind, with all of its deep, earthy flavor. I was very excited to dig into a little research on this staple dish of West Africa, and to prepare it for myself and my husband.

The results were absolutely divine! When I took my first bite, the flavor was just as delicious as I remembered that first bite being all those years ago.

Warming, savory, and mildly spicy, this African peanut stew with beef is just the perfect meal when something a little unique and totally cozy is what's called for.

My recipe for African peanut stew

African peanut stew actually has its origins in Mali, but many West African countries such as Senegal, Ghana, The Gambia, and Nigeria also enjoy it as a part of their culture. The beauty of this dish is that each cook has their own way of preparing it, with specific ingredients and preferred protein.

For instance, some preparations call for fresh tomatoes, chopped and added in, and some preparations call simply for tomato paste to cut the richness of the peanut butter. My recipe calls for both diced tomatoes and tomato paste.

Spices such as smoked paprika, cayenne, coriander, and bay leaf are also relied upon to create that wonderful depth. I also use a good handful of aromatics such as ginger, garlic, Scotch bonnet pepper (optional), onion, celery, and carrot as a base.

Peanuts are a plentiful staple in West Africa, so grinding them into a powder (or making peanut butter out of them) and using them in a “groundnut stew” is a beloved way to make use of them. And while creamy, natural-style peanut butter (unsweetened) is most typically used, I prefer chunky, natural-style peanut butter for added texture.

And while African peanut stew can be prepared vegetarian, it often makes use of proteins such as beef, chicken, or lamb. I happen to really love the addition of beef in this stew, so I use it in my recipe here.

Since sweet potatoes are also a staple in West African cuisine, they are commonly added in as well, for more texture. The same is true for hearty greens. I also add in a handful of roughly chopped Swiss chard to wilt at the end.

The result is a colorful mosaic of flavors and textures, just lovely served over brown or white rice, or even couscous!

Here's a glance at my African peanut stew recipe:

(or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I season and sear my beef, then remove it from the pot.
2. Next, I add in my aromatic vegetables followed by the ginger, garlic, pepper, spices and bay leaf.
3. Once fragrant, I add in my tomato paste and drained, diced tomatoes, followed by beef stock. I also add the seared beef back into the pot at this point.
4. I simmer my African peanut stew for about 2 hours, then whisk in the peanut butter. The sweet potatoes are now added in as well. I then let the stew continue to simmer for another 35 minutes or so, until the beef and sweet potatoes are tender.
5. To finish and serve, I wilt in the Swiss chard, ladle the stew over rice, then garnish with crushed peanuts and cilantro.

Recipe

African Peanut Stew

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

This warming African peanut stew with beef is simmered with spices, aromatic veggies, sweet potato and greens in a flavorful peanut sauce!

Category: Entree
Cuisine: West African

Yield: Serves 6

Nutrition info: 820 calories (per serving, with ½ cup cooked rice)

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours, 45 minutes
Total time: 3 hours, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 ¾ pounds beef stew meat (or beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks)
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Olive oil
• 1 large white or yellow onion, chopped
• 3 ribs celery, diced
• 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks (about 1 ½ to 2 inch pieces)
• 8 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
• 1 Scotch bonnet pepper, seeded and finely minced or thinly sliced (optional)
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 large bay leaf
• 5 (slightly heaping) tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained of juices
• 6 cups beef stock or broth
• ½ cup natural, chunky peanut butter
• 5 (heaping) cups peeled, large-chunk sweet potatoes (about 1 ½ to 2 inch chunks)
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, center rib removed and roughly chopped (about 3 packed cups)
• Chopped cilantro, for garnish
• Chopped peanuts, for garnish
• Cooked brown or white rice, or couscous, optional serving accompaniments

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. Place the beef into a large bowl, and liberally season with salt and black pepper.
3. Then, place a soup pot (at least 6 quart) over medium-high heat, and drizzle in about ¼ cup of olive oil. Once hot, add the beef and sear it for a few minutes on each side, until nicely browned. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon into a bowl, to hold.
4. Next, add the onion, celery and carrots, along with another pinch of salt and black pepper, to the pot, and saute for about 3 to 5 minutes, just to allow the veggies to begin to soften.
5. Add in the garlic, ginger, Scotch bonnet pepper (if using), smoked paprika, coriander, cayenne pepper (if using), and bay leaf, and stir together for about 30 to 45 seconds, just until aromatic.
6. Stir in the tomato paste and add in the diced tomatoes (drained of juices), and stir to incorporate those for about 30 seconds or so.
7. Next, pour in the beef stock or broth. Add back into the pot the browned beef with any accumulated juices.
8. Bring things to a vigorous simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid askew, and allow the peanut stew to gently simmer for 2 hours.
9. After two hours, whisk the chunky peanut butter into the stew to blend, then add the sweet potatoes in as well. Continue to simmer things for another 30 to 35 minutes, with the lid askew, or until the beef and sweet potatoes are very tender.
10. Finally, stir in the chopped Swiss chard, and allow that to cook for 5 minutes more, until wilted and softened.
11. Serve the African peanut stew as is, or over top of rice or couscous, topped with chopped cilantro and chopped peanuts, for garnish.

Tips & Tidbits for my African peanut stew recipe:

• Organic beef stew or beef chuck roast: If you can find beef chuck roast (organic, if possible), opt for that for lots of rich, beefy flavor. Cut it into large chunks, about 2 inches in size. Otherwise, feel free to use beef stew meat, keeping that as is, or slightly cutting any pieces that are too large.
• Make this African peanut stew with other proteins, or even vegetarian: Chicken and lamb are two other beloved proteins to use in this delicious dish. If you prefer either of those, opt for skinless, boneless chicken thighs (same amount), or lamb shoulder.
• Chunky or creamy, natural-style peanut butter: Much of the time, creamy peanut butter is added into this peanut stew. I tend to appreciate the added texture chunky peanut butter provides. The choice is yours. Just make sure to use unsweetened, natural-style peanut butter for this recipe.
• Add some spicy heat, or leave it out: Scotch bonnet pepper and cayenne pepper are often used in African peanut stew, but feel free to leave them out if you prefer a mild flavor. You can even add a small amount of one or the other for just a bit of a kick, if desired.
• What to serve with African peanut stew: Brown or white rice, or even couscous, are fantastic and simple accompaniments to this dish. They deliciously soak up the mouthwatering sauce, and make this a slightly heartier meal.

Craving more cozy and delicious recipes like this one? Check out my recipe for Pumpkin Stew with Beef, Spicy Chickpea Stew with Eggplant, Chicken Stew, Braised Pork Shoulder, my Beans and Greens recipe, or even my recipe for Beef Goulash!