Groundnut Stew

mmmmmmmmmmm.  yum.

Recently my friend Heather (the one who is hiking her way across the state of North Carolina and cataloging edible/medicinal/otherwise useful plants along the way) passed through the area and stayed with us for a night.  Knowing that she likes this dish and thinking she could use a decent meal, I was more than happy to cook up a big batch.  Turns out Claire is a big fan as well.

I loosely follow this recipe out of Sundays at the Moosewood Cafe, adding about a cup or so of black beans, a little extra cabbage, some extra stock or water, and vary between parsley, cilantro, or whatever fresh herbs I have on hand.  Basically, the base recipe gets you to a good place, and then from there I just see what I've got on hand and what kind of mood I'm in.  It's a bit on the sweet side and that can be easily tweaked by using less apple juice or adding some stock in addition to the juice.

I think it's wonderful served over brown rice.  Outside.  With a good friend.  And maybe a decent beer as well. 

Enjoy!

Groundnut Stew 

2 cups chopped onions

2 tablespoons oil

1/2 teaspoon cayenne or other ground dried chilies

1 teaspoon pressed garlic cloves

2 cups chopped cabbage

3 cups cubed sweet potatoes

3 cups tomato juice

1 cup apple or apricot juice

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger root

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

2 chopped tomatoes

1 1/2 -2 cups chopped okra

1/2 cup peanut butter 

Saute the onions in the oil for about 10 minutes. Stir in the cayenne and garlic and saute for a couple more minutes. Add the cabbage and sweet potatoes and saute, covered, for a few minutes. Mix in the juices, salt, ginger, cilantro, and tomatoes. Cover and simmer for about 15, unti8l the sweet potatoes are tender.  Add the okra and simmer for 5 minutes more. Stir (whisk) in the peanut butter, place the pan on a heat diffuser, and simmer gently until ready to serve. Add more juice or water if the stew is too thick.