West African–Inspired Sweet Potato, Kale & Peanut Stew

Ingredients

2 tbsp oil
1 large onion, chopped
3–4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp African Curry spice mix (turmeric, coriander, cumin, ginger, black pepper, cayenne, ground mustard, fennel, allspice, and cloves)
2 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 can crushed tomatoes (or ~2 cups fresh cooked down)
1/2 cup peanut butter (the good kind, not too sweet)
1 bunch kale, stems removed, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1/2 lime or a splash of vinegar

Optional but very good additions

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook until soft and just starting to brown
Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Pour in sweet potatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes until just starting to get some color.
Make a hot spot hole in the middle of the potatoes and add the tomato paste and spices, letting it cook for a couple minutes until it darkens slightly and smells rich. It's ok if it sticks to the bottom of the pan, the liquid in the next step will get it all up.
Pour in the broth and crushed tomatoes, scraping up anything stuck to the bottom.
Bring to a simmer. Cook until they’re tender, about 15–20 minutes.
Lower the heat and stir in the peanut butter until fully melted and incorporated. The stew should turn thick and velvety.
Add the kale (and chickpeas if using) and let it wilt into the stew. Simmer another 5–10 minutes. Taste and adjust—salt, acid, heat—whatever it needs.
Finish with a squeeze of lime or splash of vinegar to wake everything up. We used a homemade very vinegar-based hot sauce as the final touch and it turned out great.
To serve, ladle over rice, or eat as-is with a piece of bread.
Top with fresh chopped peanuts, fresh cilantro, and a little cream of some kind and/or tissues if you too made yours very very spicy.

Recent Posts