African Sweet Potato Peanut Stew with Lime, Chickpeas & Spinach

This African Sweet Potato Peanut Stew is an impressive dish made with humble ingredients. It's creamy, bright & slightly spicy. Sweet potatoes, chickpeas and tomatoes make up the bulk of the stew which is then flavoured with natural peanut butter, lime juice, cumin, coriander and chili. I like to serve this with brown rice, fresh cilantro & chopped toasted peanuts. Serve extra lime wedges on the side if you want to add a bit more brightness. I really really love this stew, I first made a version of it probably 8 years ago now. It's a tasty bowl of comfort you can make any time of the year. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!!! Click here for the recipe! Much love. 💜🌱

Serves 8
Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup veg oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 8 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 " ginger, minced
• 2 tbsp whole cumin seed
• 2 tbsp whole coriander seed
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 L veg stock (8 cups)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar (optional...this is something I tend to add to tomato based one pot meals but that's me chasing a perfect flavour balance. Carribean Sweet potatoes aren't as sweet as regular sweet potatoes & I find a small amount of brown sugar balances acidity of tomato without adding detectable sweetness)
• 2 tsp sambal oelek (or to taste & if you prefer a different type of chili for adding heat, go ahead and use it)
• 1 28 fl oz can whole tomatoes
• 1 x 19 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• juice 2 x limes
• 3 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized cubes. (I used Caribbean sweet potatoes)
• 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter. (I ONLY ever use natural peanut butter with no added salt or sugar. The oil separates from the peanuts in natural butters, if you store them upside down it helps so that you don't have to stir so much when you go to use some peanut butter.)
• Baby spinach, brown rice, cilantro & chopped peanuts for serving.

Method:

1. In a large soup pot heat 1/4 cup veg oil. Sauté onion for a few minutes then add in minced ginger and garlic and cook until everything is softened. (I used a food processor to quickly blitz up my ginger and garlic). Season with S & P
2. While you are sautéing onion, toast cumin & coriander seeds in a small pan until fragrant. Cool a bit then blitz in spice grinder. Add cumin, coriander and cinnamon to the pot with onion, ginger and garlic. Stir around for a few minutes. 
3. Now add the can of tomatoes, I like to use whole tomatoes, and I just crush them one a time with my hands as I'm adding them to the pot. 
4. Add veg stock and cubed sweet potatoes, bring everything to a boil & reduce to a simmer. Season with more S & P.
5. Now stir in peanut butter, lime juice, sambal oelek, & continue to simmer until potatoes are soft.
6. Add can of chickpeas & allow stew to hang out on a gentle simmer for awhile. I dislike rushing soups and stew because time develops flavour. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. I like adding spinach to the stew, but don't stir it into the entire pot all at once. I typically cool my stew and reheat whatever portion I'm eating then add a handful of spinach at the end to that portion until just wilted. Basically don't add spinach to any portion of soup that won't be consumed right away, it tends to overcook and isn't appealing. 
8. If desired serve stew over some rice and garnish with fresh cilantro, chopped peanuts and a wedge of fresh lime, if desired.