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    Home » African

    Domoda (Gambian Peanut Stew)

    By Robyn | Published: Jun 8, 2022 | Modified: Oct 5, 2022

    TO THE RECIPE
    a photo of a bowl of pumpkin stew sprinkled with peanuts with text overlay to create a pin for Pinterest for vegan African peanut stew

    Rich and creamy from peanut butter and sweet with pumpkin, this healthy Domoda recipe is delicious Gambian peanut stew that is a kid friendly vegan dinner ready in 35 minutes.

    bowl of West African peanut stew Domoda sprinkled with peanuts

    I love cooking savoury dishes with peanut butter. It goes especially well with pumpkin like in this pumpkin and peanut butter soup and this vegan Satay Pumpkin Curry. It adds a creamy luxuriousness to the dish, and the peanut taste isn’t overwhelming at all. Adding pumpkin not only adds a sweetness to the dish, but it also helps thicken the stew.

    Jump to:
    • What is domoda?
    • Why we love this recipe
    • Ingredients notes and substitutions
    • How to make this peanut stew
    • FAQ
    • My recipe tips
    • Serving ideas
    • Make ahead / storage
    • Variations
    • More family friendly vegan dinners
    • African Peanut Stew

    What is domoda?

    Also known as maafe, mafé, tigadèguèna, this peanut stew – or ground nut stew – is a staple food in West Africa, and the national dish of Gambia. The dish has many regional variations: some use flour to thicken rather than a peanut paste; it can be made with various meats including chicken, lamb or beef, or without meat as in this vegan version. I have seen many recipes for peanut stew made with sweet potato, but pumpkins are also grown in Gambia and we prefer to use them in our recipe for Domoda.

    Why we love this recipe

    • It’s a delicious and healthy one pot family dinner recipe that can be on the table in 35 minutes.
    • The pumpkin stew is packed with vegetables.
    • Easy vegan dinner that is a great recipe to make ahead and meal prep. It actually tastes better a day or two after it is made.
    • It’s a freezer friendly recipe.

    Ingredients notes and substitutions

    • Peanut butter – peanut butter is used in place of the traditional peanut paste. Use a no added sugar peanut butter.
    • Pumpkin – any orange pumpkin or even butternut squash would work in this recipe. If you are a fan of sweet potato then you can use sweet potato instead.
    • Spinach – you can use English spinach (as I have used here) or baby spinach which I often use – it’s a great way of using up bagged spinach. Use collard greens or kale, instead of baby spinach.
    • Spices – cumin, coriander and an optional form of heat like cayenne pepper. If you are wanting a spicy peanut stew then add some habanero or scotch bonnet peppers.
    ingredients needed to make the stew measured out

    How to make this peanut stew

    1. Fry the chopped onion in the olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes until soft then add the crushed garlic and grated fresh ginger (if using).
    2. Stir in the ground cumin, ground coriander, cayenne pepper (if using) and ground ginger if not using fresh ginger.
    3. Add the tomatoes, pumpkin and peanut butter to the pan.
    process shot 1 - soft fried onion and crushed garlic
    process shot 2 - adding the dried spices to the saucepan
    process shot 3 - Adding diced pumpkin, tomatoes and peanut butter to the pan.
    1. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the pumpkin is tender.
    2. Turn off the heat and blend until smooth with a hand blender.
    3. Return the pan to the heat, add the chopped spinach and cook for another couple of minutes until the spinach has wilted.
    process shot 4 - the cooked stew
    process shot 5 - the peanut stew once blended
    process shot 6 - adding chopped spinach to the peanut stew
    close up of cooked peanut stew in the saucepan topped with peanuts

    FAQ

    Can you freeze African peanut stew?

    Yes you can. Cool the stew completely then place portions in airtight containers or sealable bags and freeze for up to 3 months.

    My recipe tips

    • Roughly chopped peanuts sprinkled on top of the stew add a nice crunch but leave them out for toddlers and young kids as they can be a choking hazard.
    • If you want to use frozen spinach instead of fresh spinach, add after the stew has been blended, and heat through.

    Serving ideas

    • Traditionally served with rice, fufu, or couscous, we also enjoy Domoda with roast potato cubes, or with a slice of milk bread or a soft chapati to mop up every last drop.

    Make ahead / storage

    • This pumpkin peanut stew will keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
    • You can freeze the stew too – it will freeze for up to 3 months.

    Variations

    • Spice – the amount of hot chilli spice in this recipe is suitable for kids and toddlers, but if you and your family like things with more heat then add another ¼ teaspoon cayenne and sprinkle red chilli over the top of the dish. Traditionally scotch bonnet chilli is used, which is not young kid friendly!
    • Sweet potato – if your family is a fan of sweet potato, use this instead of or in addition to the pumpkin (use half the amount of pumpkin and make up the rest of the weight in sweet potato).
    • Peanut soup – the consistency of peanut stew varies throughout Western Africa, this is a thicker version but you can add a little more water and enjoy it more like a soup.
    • Meat – if you don’t want a vegetarian West African peanut stew, add some cubes of leftover cooked chicken or beef or brown cubes of chicken in the pan before adding the onions.

    More family friendly vegan dinners

    • Vegan Dan Dan Noodles
    • Yasai Gyoza (Veggie Gyoza)
    • Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry
    • Maghmour (Lebanese Moussaka)
    a white bowl filled with stew and sprinkled with peanuts, a bowl of rice to go with the stew just visible in the background

    African Peanut Stew

    Author: Robyn

    Taking inspiration from West African peanut stew (or ground nut stew) made from peanutpaste and tomatoes; this thick, creamy and comforting stew is also made withsweet pumpkin and spinach and makes a delicious vegan dinner.
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 27 mins
    Course dinner
    Cuisine African
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 241 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ tablespoon olive oil ($0.08 /£0.04p)
    • 1 brown onion, finely chopped ($0.45 /£0.10p)
    • 2 cloves garlic, crushed ($0.26 /£0.05p)
    • 3 cm (1 inch) fresh ginger, grated. Or ¼ teaspoon ground ginger ($0.25 /£0.05p)
    • 1½ teaspoons ground cumin ($0.15 /£0.06p)
    • 1 teaspoon ground coriander ($0.14 /£0.05p)
    • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional, especially if being served to younger family members ($0.02 /£0.01p)
    • 400g (14 oz) tin/can diced tomatoes ($0.75 /£0.28p)
    • 250g (8¾ oz) pumpkin, peeled and cut into 2cm /.8 inch cubes ($0.50 /£0.23p)
    • 100g (⅓ c) peanut butter, see notes ($0.93 /£0.40p)
    • 500ml (2 c) water ($0 /£0)
    • 220g (4 c) baby spinach ($3.96 /£0.75p)
    • Peanuts, habanero chilli, optional, for serving ($1.00 /£0.30p)
    • cooked rice, boiled potatoes or bread to serve

    Instructions
     

    • Fry the onion in the olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes until soft.
    • Add the garlic and fresh ginger, if using, and cook for another couple of minutes.
    • Stir in the ground cumin, ground coriander, cayenne pepper (if using) and ground ginger if not using fresh ginger, and then add the tomatoes, pumpkin and peanut butter and simmer 15-20 minutes until the pumpkin is tender.
    • Turn off the heat and blend until smooth with a hand blender.
    • Return to the heat, add the spinach and cook for another couple of minutes until the spinach has wilted.
    • Serve topped with fresh sliced chilli, or roughly chopped peanuts (if giving to over 5's).
    • If you want to make it ahead, it will keep in the fridge up to 3 days.

    Notes

    Estimated costs (without peanuts and chilli for serving):
    Australia $7.49 . Per serve = $1.88 (see frozen spinach option below for reducing costs)
    UK £2.02 . Per serve = £0.51p (see frozen spinach option below for reducing costs)
    America – I am yet to calculate the estimated ingredients costs to make this recipe in the US. If you would find it useful please let me know and I’ll get calculating 🙂 
    Using frozen spinach costs: Australia $0.88 for this recipe, which saves $3.08. This brings the cost down to $3.69, per serve = $0.93
    UK: 35p which saves 40p. This brings the cost down to £1.62, per serve = £0.41p
    Peanut butter – this is used in place of the traditional peanut paste. Use a no added sugar peanut butter.
    Pumpkin – any orange pumpkin or even butternut squash would work in this recipe. If you are a fan of sweet potato then you can use sweet potato instead.
    Spinach – you can use English spinach (as I have used here) or baby spinach which I often use – it’s a great way of using up bagged spinach. Use collard greens or kale, instead of baby spinach. If you want to use frozen spinach instead of fresh spinach, add after the stew has been blended, and heat through.
    Spices – cumin, coriander and some form of heat. If you are wanting a spicy peanut stew then add some habanero or scotch bonnet peppers.
    Make it more of a peanut soup consistency: Use 3 c | 750ml water

    Nutrition

    Calories: 241kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 11gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 300mgPotassium: 1028mgFiber: 6gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 10745IUVitamin C: 33mgCalcium: 136mgIron: 4mg
    Keyword Gambian stew, healthy vegan dinner, peanut butter soup, peanut stew

    HAVE YOU MADE THIS RECIPE?

    I’d love to see your creation!

    Tag me! #atmrsjoneskitchen
    Tag me! @atmrsjoneskitchen

    Or just leave a comment below!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jan says

      November 10, 2022 at 1:20 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious!

      Reply
      • Robyn says

        November 11, 2022 at 6:59 pm

        Thanks Jan 🙂

        Reply
    2. Tarah says

      February 03, 2022 at 7:41 am

      Can you used canned pumpkin?

      Reply
      • Robyn says

        February 03, 2022 at 8:18 pm

        Yes you can use canned pumpkin in this recipe. Add it with the tomatoes and simmer for 7-10 minutes before adding the spinach.

        Reply
    3. sandra says

      October 13, 2021 at 5:11 am

      When do you add the peanut butter?

      Reply
      • Robyn says

        October 13, 2021 at 9:59 am

        Hi Sandra, So sorry for the omission. You add the peanut butter with the pumpkin and tomatoes. The recipe has now been amended to include this. Thanks, Robyn

        Reply
    4. Gavin says

      July 11, 2020 at 8:56 am

      5 stars
      Never heard of this before! I’m ANYTHING peanut so this has defo made the weekly meal plan

      Reply
      • Robyn says

        July 11, 2020 at 7:14 pm

        I am with you on the peanut thing Gavin! Hope you enjoy it

        Reply
    5. Anastasia Papapetros says

      July 09, 2020 at 10:32 am

      Looks just so delicious and colourful, definitely a great weekday dinner idea!

      Reply
      • Robyn says

        July 09, 2020 at 3:06 pm

        Thanks Anastasia, it is a delicious weekday dinner for sure!

        Reply
    6. Jaimie says

      July 06, 2020 at 6:36 pm

      5 stars
      Peanuts + pumpkin = perfect! Can’t wait to try this.

      Reply
      • Robyn says

        July 09, 2020 at 3:01 pm

        It is a delicious combination! Hope you enjoy it!

        Reply
    7. Sarah says

      July 05, 2020 at 9:09 pm

      5 stars
      Yum, this looks delicious! Pumpkin and peanuts, what a combination. And a kid and toddler friendly meal I can have on the table in under 30mins, perfect!

      Reply
      • Robyn says

        July 06, 2020 at 10:06 am

        They are a great combination – and one the kids love which is always good! 🙂

        Reply
    8. Sylvie says

      July 05, 2020 at 2:35 pm

      5 stars
      The combination of peanut and pumpkin sounds absolutely delicious! This would make such a great mid week dinner, and I love that it is meatless/vegan too!

      Reply
      • Robyn says

        July 05, 2020 at 6:12 pm

        Peanut and pumpkin is a winning combination Sylvie!

        Reply
    9. Alex says

      July 05, 2020 at 12:20 pm

      5 stars
      Oh I have never had anything like this before – this sounds AMAZING! I am so excited to give it a try!

      Reply
      • Robyn says

        July 05, 2020 at 6:11 pm

        Thanks Alex – let me know how you like it!

        Reply

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    Robyn Jones, Recipe Developer & Food Photographer

    Robyn Jones

    Recipe Developer | Food Photographer | Writer

    Hi! I'm Robyn, a toddler mum with a passion for all things food! Having moved internationally 7 times in the past 12 years I have developed a love of making international recipes into family friendly ones you can make in your own home, with local ingredients; wherever you live!

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