AFRICAN PEANUT STEW

This recipe is a definite winner in our house, perfect for when you want a really hearty and comforting dinner with a nice touch of spice to set your taste buds tingling.

INGREDIENTS

1–2 tbsp peanut oil

500g sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 × 400g tin of black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

½ fresh red Scotch bonnet chilli, deseeded and kept whole (optional) 3 tbsp tomato purée

1 × 400g tin of chopped tomatoes 500ml vegetable stock

125g natural smooth peanut butter 200g spinach, chopped

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice Handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

2 spring onions, finely chopped

1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and

finely sliced

Salt and black pepper

For the paste:

2 onions, roughly chopped

5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped Thumb-sized piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped 1 tsp paprika

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground fenugreek

½-1 fresh red Scotch bonnet chilli (to taste), deseeded and roughly chopped

Pinch of salt

METHOD

1. Place all the paste ingredients in a food processor and blitz into a coarse paste.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan or shallow frying pan. Add the paste and sauté over a medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a little more oil if the paste starts to stick to the pan.

3. Add the sweet potatoes, black-eyed peas, Scotch bonnet chilli (if using) and tomato purée and mix to combine. Pour in the tinned tomatoes and vegetable stock, add the peanut butter, season with salt and pepper and stir in well. Cover the pan with a lid and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Remove from the heat and stir in the spinach, leaving it to wilt in the pan for 5 minutes. To finish, add the lemon juice, coriander, spring onions and sliced chillies and check the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if needed.