African Peanut Stew

African peanut stew is a rich, flavorful, and nutritious one-pot recipe with peanut butter, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, aromatic spices, and a protein of your choice.

This peanut stew recipe is without meat; we use chickpeas instead to make this an easy 30-minute high-protein vegetarian meal, packing more than 20 grams of protein per small portion.

African Peanut Stew originates from West African countries such as Mali, Gambia, Senegal, Nigeria, and Ghana, where it’s known in the local Mandinka language as domodah or tigadegena.

It is often referred to as maafe or simply groundnut stew. In West Africa, this recipe can be made with meat, fish, or vegetarian.

Here, we chose to make a Vegetarian and Vegan African Peanut Stew with chickpeas (or tofu) as substitutes for the meat.

We also add tender bite-size chunks of sweet potatoes and fresh baby spinach, which meld beautifully with the peanut butter-based sauce.

Like some of our other high protein vegetarian meals – for example, spinach stew, chickpea stew, Moroccan lentil soup, Harira soup, and white bean soup, African Peanut Stew is easy to make in one pot and about 30 minutes.

This makes it perfect for a weeknight dinner, and because it keeps well in the fridge, you can also use it for meal prep for the week.

While groundnut stew falls into the stew category, its hearty, rich, and creamy texture will make you think of a curry.

Recipes like potato curry, sweet potato curry, chickpea curry, and even our vegan curry have similarities to this African recipe.

What really stands out about African peanut stew is its extraordinary creaminess and wonderful nutty and aromatic flavor given by the peanut butter mixed with tomato and spices.

Enjoy this beautiful and nutritious dish in a bowl with brown rice or with a side of bread.

We recommend topping it with some crushed peanuts, a squeeze of lime, and quick pickled red onions to cut through the warm and rich creaminess of the peanut butter.

Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

Olive oil

We recommend extra virgin olive oil.

Substitute regular olive oil, avocado oil, peanut oil, or another neutral vegetable oil.

Onion

Use a large white or yellow onion, finely chopped.

Garlic

Fresh garlic is best. You can mince, grate, or press the garlic.

Ginger

Fresh ginger is preferable to ground ginger. Peel it and grate it.

Cumin

Ground cumin is broadly used in West African cooking, and its aroma is excellent in this West African Peanut Stew.

Optionally, add a couple of bay leaves and a teaspoon of ground coriander for an even earthier and aromatic flavor.

Red pepper flakes

Add more or less red pepper flakes to make this peanut stew as spicy as you like.

Substitute chili powder, cayenne pepper, or freshly chopped chili for the flakes.

Peanut butter

We recommend using 100% – or close to 100% – pure peanut butter without added sugar and salt.

We used creamy peanut butter made with roasted unhulled peanuts without added sugar, salt, or hydrogenated oils.

The African Peanut stew turned out with the perfect nuttiness and creaminess.

We recommend pure peanut butter because, in the original groundnut stew recipe, west Africans ground the peanuts at home, turning them into a pure peanut paste.

You might have to reduce the quantity slightly if you use sweetened or salted peanut butter. As usual, taste and adjust to find a flavor you like.

Vegetable broth

We recommend reduced sodium-vegetable broth.

You can substitute chicken stock or any other stock for vegetable stock.

Tomatoes

Canned crushed tomatoes are best because they add the perfect texture to the peanut stew.

Substitute tomato puree for the smoothest stew or diced tomatoes for a chunkier one.

We find tomato paste to be unnecessary for this recipe as the peanut butter adds enough richness and flavor.

Chickpeas

Since this recipe is for a vegetarian or vegan peanut stew, we chose chickpeas for meat.

You can use canned chickpeas or dried chickpeas that you previously cooked in boiling water.

Here’s our guide on how to cook chickpeas at home.

Substitute air-fried tofu, fried tofu, marinated tofu, cannellini beans, or black beans for chickpeas. You can even add firm tofu cut into bite-size pieces to the stew.

Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are excellent in this recipe because they get beautifully tender, and their naturally sweet flavor melds with peanut butter perfectly.

You can substitute or complement the sweet potatoes with red bell peppers and okra.

Spinach

Fresh spinach adds even more nutrition and cooks in minutes, so we always like to add a couple of handfuls towards the end.

Substitute chopped collard greens, kale, or Swiss chard for spinach.

Salt & Black Pepper

Season with sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Serves well with

• Rice or Bread: African peanut stew serves well with brown rice, but it’s also delicious with bread such as warm pita, naan bread, or any other flatbread to sop up the thick, creamy juices.
• Lime juice: a squeeze of fresh lime juice is a must because its acidity cuts through the creaminess of the peanut butter. Substitute lemon juice for lime.
• Quick pickled red onions: optional but delicious with this stew. They add freshness and a tangy flavor. You can make them in 10 minutes while the stew simmers. Substitute quick-pickled jalapeños.
• Crushed peanuts: for some crunch and fresh peanut flavor.
• Cilantro: its flavor is excellent with peanuts, but if you make the stew with spinach, adding cilantro is unnecessary.

US cups + grams measurements in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven., add chopped onion and sauté gently for 3 minutes.

Add grated garlic, grated ginger, ground cumin, and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant.

Add the sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into large bite-size chunks.

Then add vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed canned chickpeas, and season with salt and black pepper.

Cover with a lid, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer.

Stir in the peanut butter and cook for about 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender.

Now stir in the spinach and cook for a few seconds or until they wilt. Taste and adjust for salt.

Peanut Stew with Tofu

You can substitute bite-size pieces of firm tofu (14-16 ounces or 400 grams) for the chickpeas.

You have a few options:

1. For a soft tofu texture, take the tofu out of its package, pat it dry with kitchen paper, and cut it into bite-size cubes. Add it to the stew instead of the chickpeas.
2. For a chewy tofu texture, cook the tofu before adding it to the stew. You can use air fryer tofu, marinated oven-baked tofu, and pan-fried tofu. You can prepare the tofu while the stew simmers. Add the cooked tofu with the spinach to the peanut stew towards the end.

Make ahead: this is an excellent recipe for meal prep as it keeps for days in the fridge and the flavor improves on the second day.

Refrigerator: transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Freezer: let the African peanut stew cool down completely, transfer it to a freezer-friendly container, and freeze it for up to 3 months.

Thaw & Reheat: defrost in the fridge over several hours or in the microwave with thawing functions. Warm it in a bowl in the microwave for 2 – 3 minutes. Stir in a splash of water if too thick. Alternatively, reheat in a saucepan with some water on the stovetop.

Here are some more recipes with peanut flavor:

• Peanut Noodles
• Easy peanut sauce
• Sesame noodles
• Buddha bowl

30-Min Meals

Buddha Bowl

30-Min Meals

Peanut Noodles

Sauces

Peanut Sauce Recipe

30-Min Meals

Sesame Noodles

Find more one-pot meals for convenient and delicious dinners:

• Lentil curry
• Lentil vegetable soup
• Kale soup
• Black bean soup

Soups

Lentil Curry

Soups

Lentil Vegetable Soup

Soups

Kale Soup

Soups

Black Bean Soup

For many more dinner ideas, check out our mains category page.