Nutty Chicken from West Africa

Portuguese explorers first brought the peanut to West Africa from Latin America in the 1600s and this humble ingredient quickly became an important source of protein and nutrition across the entire region, and beyond.  African cooks developed peanut brittle and kulikuli - fried peanut balls - and used peanuts in soups, stews or marinades.  

Here is a dish from West Africa - possibly Cameroon, or Nigeria, or Ghana.  No matter, it is truly delicious.  Peanut butter is used to thicken and flavour the sauce, and also sprinkled whole as a dressing.  Africans in this sub-Saharan region generally enjoy their flavours fiery... but you can moderate this great curry/stew to your preference. 

You will need:

• 2 tbsp peanut or corn oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 80g smooth peanut butter
• Chicken stock
• 600g skinless and boneless chicken thighs, cut into good-size chunks
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• Thumb-size piece ginger, peeled and grated
• Quarter tbsp ground coriander
• Half tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp crushed chillies
• Handful fresh coriander, leaves picked
• Scattering of raw or roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

Here we go...

• Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large, deep frying pan and sauté the onion over a medium heat until they soften, but not brown
• Add the sweet potatoes and pepper, season and cook for a further 10 mins Transfer to a bowl and set aside
• Meanwhile, mix the peanut butter with the hot stock until smooth, then set aside
• Add the remaining oil to the pan along with the chicken. Stir in the garlic, ginger, ground coriander, cumin and crushed chillies. Cook over a medium-high heat until the chicken is golden
• Return the vegetables to the pan and pour in the hot peanut stock. Simmer for 20 mins until the sauce has thickened and the chicken and sweet potato are tender and cooked through
• Garnish with coriander and peanuts and serve with steamed or boiled rice