African Peanut Sweet Potato Stew

Name: African Peanut Sweet Potato Stew
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 6 h
Total time: 6 h 20 min
Yield: 8 servings (2-1/2 quarts).
Ingredients: 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained; 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves; 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter; 3 garlic cloves, halved; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika; 3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 6 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces; 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas or garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained; 1 cup water; 8 cups chopped fresh kale; Chopped peanuts and additional cilantro leaves, optional

Back when I was in college, my mom made an addicting sweet potato and peanut stew. I shared it with friends, and now all of us serve it to our own kids. They all love it, of course. —Alexis Scatchell, Niles, Illinois

Ingredients

1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
3 garlic cloves, halved
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 6 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas or garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup water
8 cups chopped fresh kale
Chopped peanuts and additional cilantro leaves, optional

Directions

Place the first 8 ingredients in a food processor; process until pureed. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker; stir in sweet potatoes, beans and water.
Cook, covered, on low 6-8 hours or until potatoes are tender, adding kale during the last 30 minutes. If desired, top each serving with chopped peanuts and additional cilantro.

Nutrition Facts

1-1/4 cups: 349 calories, 9g fat (1g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 624mg sodium, 60g carbohydrate (23g sugars, 11g fiber), 10g protein.

Reviews

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Average Rating:

Gabi

Jan 31, 2020

Great original African taste!
M

Sep 25, 2019

Great recipe. Tips from me (maybe these are obvious to others, but it took me some trial and error) include to use peanut butter that is only peanuts and salt. I found it too sweet using conventional PB. Also, I like to add some heat, like red chile or cayenne powder.
Lynda1111

Dec 10, 2017

So good! This tastes like an authentic African recipe. I am American & married an East African man. The culture was like stepping into a different world from my western heritage & German roots. But I loved the cultures & the foods, as Africans have a way of coming up with the best combination of spices. Traditionally, food is centered around vegetables or grains (varies depending on country & region) & meat is served as a side dish or not at all unless it is a special occasion. Sweet potatoes are a food that is eaten throughout the continent. I followed directions, but chop your kale fine! I used a food processor to chop my kale. I also waited until last 2 hours of cooking to add chickpeas & kale. I also used 1/2 the amount of kale. And I added about 2 cups extra water. Be brave & expand your food tastes! This is a delicious, healthy, filling stew. If your family prefers meat at each meal, as many Americans do, fry something like beef flank cut in thin strips with oil with pepper & onion. Serve on the side with this stew. Or make half the recipe & serve this as a side with something like a roast. And put more peanuts on top. I am so happy Alexis shared her mom's excellent recipe.