Soup
& Stew
Recipes

Afang Soup

Bunny Chow

Calalu

Egusi Soup

Elephant Soup

Groundnut
Stew

Lablabi

Mbanga Soup

Molokhia

Ndolé Soup

Ogbono Soup

Palaver 'Sauce'

Palm Butter Soup

Palm-Oil Chop

Peanut Soup

Pepper Soup

Plasas

South African Malay Curry

Superkanja
_

Recipe Indexes

Rare Recipes

About this Website

Learn About Africa

About African Cooking

_

The Congo Cookbook Shop

Ash Grey T-Shirt, at The Congo Cookbook Shop

A printed book or PDF download version of The Congo Cookbook is available from lulu

from: Western Africa | cooking method: boiling-simmering

Groundnut Stew

Groundnut is the common African word for peanut, and Groundnut Stew or Groundnut Chop is one of many Chop dishes; the Western African version of the Chicken in Peanut-Tomato Sauce eaten all over sub-Saharan Africa. The Western African style is usually more elaborate, with more ingredients and garnishes. Palm-Oil Chop is similar to Groundnut Stew: the main difference is that peanuts (or peanut butter) in Groundnut Stew replace the palm nuts (or canned palm soup base) and in Palm-Oil Chop.

traditional women's hairstyles in western africa.

What you need

one or two sweet potatoes, or a similar amount of yams, peeled and cut into cubes (optional)
peanut oil (or other cooking oil)
one or two chickens, cut into large bite-sized pieces (you can also use equal parts chicken and beef or stew meat)
salt (to taste)
black pepper (to taste)
chicken broth or stock (optional)
two or three tomatoes, chopped (or canned tomaoes, or tomato sauce or tomato paste)
one or two onions, chopped very fine
one clove garlic, minced (optional)
one or two hot chile peppers, chopped (optional)
one-half teaspoon ground ginger or coriander
pinch of thyme or a bay leaf
one-quarter cup dried shrimp or dried prawns (optional)
one medium eggplant (aubergine, or guinea squash) or a dozen okra, or canned beans, or canned corn (optional)
sweet green pepper (or bell pepper), chopped (optional)
squash, chopped (optional)
one cup peanut butter (preferably natural and unsweetened) -- or make your own peanut paste by roasting peanuts, removing the shells and skins, and grinding, mashing, or mincing them, then simmer them in a saucepan with a cup of water

What you do

If using sweet potatoes or yams:
Boil or steam them until they begin to become tender.
In a large pot or dutch oven fry the meat in hot oil, until browned. Add salt and pepper. Reduce heat, add a cup of water or chicken broth and simmer.
Heat oil in a skillet. Fry the tomatoes, onions, garlic, chile peppers over high heat. Add spices. Add the optional vegetables, sweet potatoes or yams, and/or dried shrimp or prawns. Reduce heat and stir in peanut butter and a bit of water or broth. Stir until smooth.
Add the tomato-onion-peanut mixture to the simmering meat. Stir throughly and continue to simmer until the meat is cooked and the vegetables are tender.
Serve with boiled Rice and as many garnishes as possible:
- hard-boiled eggs, peeled (everyone must have a hard-boiled egg); these are sometimes added to the pot and cooked with the stew a few minutes before serving
- sliced boiled yam or sweet potato
- breadcrumbs or croutons
- sliced fruit: such as banana, mango, orange, papaya, pineapple, etc.
- shredded lettuce
- parsley
- chopped nuts
- shredded coconut
- sliced tomato
- sliced onion: raw or fried
- chile peppers
- chutney
- African Hot Sauce
- salt, black pepper, red pepper
Serve Ginger Beer or Green Tea with Mint with or after the meal.
Follow with Fruit Salad.

This dish also can be made without the meat. Use sweet potatoes and as many of the optional vegetables as possible for the vegetarian version.

More about Groundnut Stew in the Rare Recipes pages:

Isobel Ryan

Country-Chop

In Black Man's Palaver (Jonathan Cape, London, 1958), Isobel Ryan describes "Chop", prepared by a hired cook, as a tradition among expatriates:

...'country-chop'...is chicken curry or 'groundnut stew' or 'palm-oil chop'. The main dish, basically chicken, swims in pungent juices and comes with a heaped platter of rice. These nobly centre a table spread with saucered 'gages' [garnishes]: chopped tomatoes, onions, bananas (all both raw and cooked), pineapple, grapefruit, tangerine, prawns and shredded coconut, okra, groundnuts (whole and crushed), powdered ginger, stink-fish, red and green peppers, and chutney -- with a big bowl of cold, astringent fruit salad afterwards to refresh the heated palate. Such is West Africa's own colorful ceremonial contribution to the week's bill of fare; a meal usually preceded by pink gins and washed down with ice-cold beer and best taken with friends at leisure and slept off in the late afternoon of a non-working day. It is the calorie-crammed Coaster meal which pleases not only the formal luncheon party but its servitors and any hangers-on who may follow the rich hot scents to the cookhouse door.

Other African gastronomical excerpts

Search this website:

Congo Cookbook recipes using Peanut Butter (or Peanuts)

Also see: Recipes by Ingredient

Get The Congo Cookbook PDF file. For more information, see the Frequently Asked Questions.

African Proverbs

Angba ommo adire lowo iku o li ako je ki on ki o re atan lo ije. (Yoruba) : A chicken having been preserved (by being shut up) from death (i.e., the hawk), complained that it was not permitted to feed openly on the dunghill.
(from: Wit and Wisdom from West Africa, Richard Francis Burton)

Anyeminu ni le kusum le, ledzi moni ke onukpai yeo nii. (Ga, Ghana) : The brother or sister who does not respect the traditions of the elders will not be allowed to eat with the elders. Young people should learn and respect the honored ways of the family and community.
(from: African Proverbs, Sayings and Stories Website, www.afriprov.org)

Other African proverbs

Amazon.com Search Now: