Groundnut stew (maafe) with Malabar spinach
A delicious, rich and savory African stew made with tomatoes, peanut butter, greens (like Malabar spinach), okra, and other ingredients. Best served over couscous, rice, or bulgur wheat.
Servings 8
Ingredients
- 4 cups diced onion
- 4 tbsp sunflower or peanut oil
- 4 lbs humanely raised chicken (recommend dark meat with bones in for best flavor)
- 2 tbsp diced ginger
- 4 cups Malabar spinach, densely packed and chopped
- 1 cup okra, chopped into circles
- 1/4 cup diced garlic
- 1 1/2 jars peanut butter, 1.5 lbs (we recommend organic, natural-style creamy peanut butter - no sugar, no salt)
- 56 ounces stewed or diced tomatoes (2 large cans)
- 2 cups water (added with peanut butter)
- 1.5 tbsp sea salt, or to taste
- 1 tsp hot red pepper flake (optional)
Instructions
- In large pot, heat oil on medium heat, then add chicken, diced onions, and ginger. Cook, turning every few minutes, until chicken is browned on all outer surfaces and onions are translucent.
- Add chopped okra and garlic. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add stewed tomatoes and cook for about 30 minutes to cook meat all the way through.
- Add peanut butter, Malabar spinach leaves, plus 2 cups of water, then turn heat to low and cook for another 20-30 minutes. Stir vigorously after adding peanut butter to make sure peanut butter dissolves evenly into stew. Then stir every 5-10 minutes thereafter to make sure peanut butter-thickened sauce doesn't stick to bottom of pot and burn.
- Serve over couscous, bulgur wheat, or brown rice. Garnish with fresh, seasonal flowers like garlic chive flowers shown in photos.