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Spicy African chicken stew

By Sara Buenfeld

Cayenne pepper and Scotch bonnet chillies give this boldly flavoured peanut casserole a fiery kick

Prep:15 mins
Cook:1 hrs 5 mins

Serves 8
Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 633
fat 40g
saturates 10g
carbs 25g
sugars 12g
fibre 4g
protein 44g
salt 0.8g

Ingredients

500ml chicken stock, heated
340g jar smooth peanut butter
2 onions, halved and thinly sliced
3 tbsp sunflower oil
3 tbsp finely chopped ginger
½-1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
3 tsp ground coriander
3 tsp ground cumin
1-2 scotch bonnet chillies, deseeded and chopped
2 bay leaves
400g can chopped tomatoes
2 x 800g pack chicken thighs and drumsticks, skinned
3 sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into chunks
good handful coriander, chopped, a little reserved for sprinkling
rice and lime wedges, to serve (optional)

Tip

Freezing in batches
Once cooled, you can freeze this stew for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge, or reheat gently from frozen in a large pan with a little water to stop it sticking as it melts. Cover the pan until thawed, then remove the lid and heat until bubbling to drive off the excess moisture.

Method

Pour the hot stock over the peanut butter and stir until dissolved. Heat a very large pan and fry the onions in the oil for 5 mins to soften. Add the ginger, cayenne, if using, ½ tsp black pepper, coriander, cumin, chillies and bay and cook, stirring, for 2 mins.
Tip in the tomatoes and the peanut stock, then stir in the chicken pieces. Put a lid on the pan and leave to simmer for 30 mins, stirring frequently to make sure the peanut butter doesn’t stick to the base of the pan.
Stir in the sweet potatoes, peppers and chopped coriander, then cook for 30 mins more. Serve sprinkled with the reserved coriander, with rice and lime wedges for squeezing over, if you like.