Vegan African Peanut Stew with Roti
This recipe for a flavourful vegan African peanut stew is simple and quick to make! It’s sure to warm you up thanks to its spicy kick.
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This spicy African peanut stew is perfect for a chilly night, hearty and warming with a side of roti.
What is African peanut stew?
Peanut stew is also known as maafe in Western Africa. It’s made from peanut butter, broth and spices.
It’s a very versatile dish so you can add in any of your favourite vegetables – tomatoes and peppers are popular go-tos in African cuisine.
The dish is creamy and, of course, nutty and aromatic thanks to all of its wonderful spices.
What is roti?
Roti is a round flatbread that’s served with a variety of dishes in many different areas of the world, including Africa and India.
It’s easy to make and consists of just two main ingredients, water and flour.
It’s similar to naan but is slightly lighter. Naan is more dense because it is leavened and roti isn’t.
Roti usually accompanies vegetable dishes, curries and dhals.
Is peanut butter vegan?
Usually, peanut butter is vegan. Most peanut butters consist of ground peanuts, oil and salt.
However, it’s important to make sure the ingredients of your chosen peanut butter doesn’t contain any honey, as this stops it from being vegan.
Good vegan peanut butters are made by brands such as Whole Earth, Meridian and Sun-Pat.
Top cooking tip
Add any vegetables you fancy to this dish to make it extra nutritious and tasty; aubergine and courgette would work particularly well!
This dish can be made gluten-free if you omit the roti. Also, check the vegetable stock cubes you are using are gluten-free.
Total Time: 30 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Calories: 370
Servings: 4
Rating:
Total Time: 30 minutes
Calories: 370
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
(Servings: 4)
- For the stew
- 0.25 0.25 large onion, peeled and chopped
- 0.25 0.25 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
- 0.25 0.25 large red chilli, chopped
- 1 1 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- 0.5 0.5 tsp ground cumin
- 0.25 0.25 tsp paprika
- 0.25 0.25 tsp mild chilli powder
- 1 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 30 30 g natural peanut butter
- 180 180 ml water
- 0.25 0.25 cube vegetable stock
- 0.5 0.5 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 0.5 0.5 sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
- 15 15 g toasted peanuts
- a couple of handfuls of fresh spinach
- sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- fresh coriander, to garnish
- For the roti
- 56.25 56.25 g plain flour
- 30 30 ml water
- 0.5 0.5 tsp sea salt flakes
- 0.25 0.25 tbsp oil, plus extra for brushing
Method
- Add the onion, ginger, chilli and garlic to a saucepan with a splash of oil and a pinch of salt.
- Cook until the ginger is fragrant and the onions have softened.
- Next add the paprika, cumin and chilli, if using, to the pan and cook for a minute, stirring. Add the tomato puree, peanut butter, water and stock cube and stir well to combine.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, except the peanuts, spinach and coriander to the pan, season and bring to a simmer.
- Leave to cook gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- To make the roti, mix together the flour, salt, tablespoon of oil and enough water to make a very soft dough.
- Knead on a floured surface for a few minutes to make it easier to work with. Divide the dough into 8.
- Roll each ball of dough out on a well-floured surface to a thin circle. Brush the bottom third of each circle with oil and fold towards the middle. Brush the top third with oil and fold into the middle in the same way. Give the dough a quarter turn and repeat the process. You should end up with a little, folded square of dough. Leave to rest for a couple of minutes: you could use this time to put some rice on to cook.
- Place a dry frying pan over high heat. Roll out each roti to a large thin circle and brush with a little oil.
- Place the roti in the pan and cook on both sides until puffed and golden brown spots form.
- Taste the stew, add the spinach and adjust the seasoning to taste.
- Serve the curry with some rice, if using, and the roti for dipping. Garnish with fresh coriander and toasted peanuts. Enjoy!
Each 100g serving of peanut stew provides:
Fat 12g, Saturates 2.8g, Carbohydrates 13g, Sugars 5.5g, Protein 7.8g, Salt 0.62g.
Each 100g serving of bread provides:
Fat 5.3g, Saturates 0.9g, Carbohydrates 68g, Sugars 0g, Protein 12g, Salt 2.1g.
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