Domoda (Gambian 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.

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.

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.

4. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the pumpkin is tender.
5. Turn off the heat and blend until smooth with a hand blender.
6. Return the pan to the heat, add the chopped spinach and cook for another couple of minutes until the spinach has wilted.

FAQ

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