African sweet potato stew

African sweet potato stew

This is a vibrant winter's stew, extra comforting and super good for you. Don't be put off by the somewhat extensive looking ingredients list. Once you have everything assembled you throw everything into one large pot and it couldn't be easier. It also makes great left-overs for the next day :)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 spanish onion, finely diced

1 small knob ginger, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 lemon grass stick, finely diced

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp sweet paprika

1 tsp garam masala

2 tsp coriander seeds

salt & pepper

2 tsp brown sugar

2-3 C water

1/2 bunch cilantro, finely diced, stems included

1 large sweet potato, chopped into rough square chunks

2 cans chopped tomatoes

2 bay leaf

1 cinnamon stick

2 massel imitation chicken stock cubes

2 carrots, peeled and sliced into circles

1/2 C peanut butter

5 stems silver beat, roughly chopped

1 can butter beans

1/2 red pepper, cut into squares

1 C cooked wild rice

1 can drained corn (optional).

Steamed rice to serve.

Method:

Turn the stove to med-high and to a large non stick wok add the diced onion, ginger, garlic, lemon grass, cumin, sweet paprika, gram masala, coriander seeds, salt and pepper and brown sugar. Stir roughly and don't let the ingredients catch on the bottom, adding a little of the water to help.

Add cilantro and sweet potato. Stir. 

Add canned tomatoes, bay leaves and cinnamon stick.

Stir in massel cubes adding 1 C water.

Add carrot. Stir.

Once it's bubbling, turn the heat to medium and cover with a lid for about 15 minutes, checking from time to time and adding more water along the way. 

Add the peanut butter and stir it through until it dissolves into the sauce, making it quite creamy.

Add the silver beat and cook another 5 minutes.

When the sweet potato is cooked (which will take between 20-30 minutes depending on your dice size), finally add the butter beans, red pepper, wild rice and corn. Cook another few minutes and then serve on steamed rice, either white or brown.

Delicious!