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    Home » Recipes

    Nigerian Peanut Yam Stew

    Published: Oct 9, 2021 · Modified: May 15, 2022 by Vanessa Sturman · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 10 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This Nigerian stew is literally one of the tastiest stews I've eaten. It's filling, hearty, delicious and full of traditional African flavours and ingredients from peanut and yam to sweet red pepper and beans. It's made with easy ingredients, and is made even easier by using Zim's Tribe Sauce, which is a divine African Sauce made by a small business whose aim is to get African flavours into our homes and on our plates. It's my take on an African peanut stew, and can encourage you to try new flavours and perhaps new ingredients! *this is a sponsored post with Zim's Tribe.

    Nigerian stew with yams and peanut butter in a bowl with rice this recipe
    Jump to:
    • 🍲Ingredients
    • 👩🏽‍🍳How-To
    • 🥣Serving
    • ❓FAQs
    • 🍴Similar recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    🍲Ingredients

    This incredible African Peanut Stew doesn't take long to make and has pretty simple ingredients. I go over these wonderful items below.

    Zim's Tribe Sauce - the absolute star of the show, and what allows you to easily make this delicious authentic African dish. It has all the flavours you need from pepper, garlic, sweet pepper, paprika and much more! Zim's Tribe makes African sauces and relishes, as well as infused oils. It's founded and run by the most lovely Nigerian guy who found that it was almost impossible to pick up an "African sauce" in the way you can pick up Indian or Italian sauces. The sauces are made from his own special recipe, which can simply be used as a dipping sauce if you fancy, as well as for full-blown meals. They conveniently range (thank you, Zims!) from mild, medium to hot and EXTRA HOT! I tend to go for the Medium heat one myself.

    Smooth peanut butter - well, I'm a self-professed nut butter addict, so a stew with peanut in pleases me greatly! Peanut in stews is traditional in some African cuisine, which I am totally on board with! I love using Biona's Smooth Peanut Butter, and also eat it most mornings on my High Protein Superfood Breakfast.

    Yam - this is a very traditional African vegetable, and delicious in Nigerian stew. It's a root vegetable that can be used in a similar way to potato. It adds a real thickness to the stew, especially when left overnight. It's a comforting carby vegetable, and if you haven't tried it, I really recommend it. You'll need to peel it (with a knife is probably easiest), and it's easiest to cut up with a proper chef's knife. The one I have is the Victorinox Chef's Knife which is very reasonably priced and fantastic for chopping bigger vegetables like squash. If you can't find yam, just use potato or sweet potato.

    Zim’s Tribe Garlic Ginger Chili Oil - Zim's Tribe also do some amazing infused oils which are delicious for drizzling over salad, and are great for frying. I recommend that you fry the plantain with this oil for extra delightful flavours. You can of course just use your usual frying oil or even bake the plantain.

    Plantain - another traditional ingredient that is just divine! A savoury kind of banana that you'll find in a lot of African and Caribbean cooking. It's delicious to serve as an added extra with this Nigerian stew, and I talk more about it in the Serving Ideas section below. If you can't find plantain, you can use unripe banana instead.

    Beans - I can't be vegan and not love beans. They are full of protein and fibre (and so keep you super full) and are such an easy addition to any meal, especially curry and stews. You can actually use any kind of bean in this Nigerian stew (use whatever you have available). I love using pinto beans, black eyed peas or black beans in this dish. The dish uses one drained tin/can of beans, but you can of course cook your beans from dried.

    Vegetable stock - a real store cupboard essential for me. It makes up the liquid of this African peanut stew, and so it's important you have a good vegetable stock. I use stock made by Nine Meals from Anarchy as it has no preservatives and is made from ACTUAL vegetables (yes, what a shocking concept, but not all stock really is!).

    Zim's Tribe oil for frying plantain

    👩🏽‍🍳How-To

    This Nigerian stew is simple to make, in part because you can use Zim's Tribe sauce for those key African flavours, which just makes this stew the star of your weekend! In summary you:

    👩🏽‍🍳 Prepare the yam by cutting it into cubes. Let the yam cook until a fork easily goes through the yam pieces.

    👩🏽‍🍳 In a saucepan put the Zim's Tribe sauce and vegetable stock. Cook for a few minutes then add the peanut butter, and make sure it's well combined.

    👩🏽‍🍳Add the beans and cook for a further five minutes. Then add the yam but don't mix too well or the yam pieces will break up. If you leave the Nigerian stew to sit overnight it will get thicker.

    👩🏽‍🍳 For the plantain (if using - it really adds to that traditional Nigerian feel), you cut it up and simply free in a bit of oil. Using an infused oil from Zim's Tribe makes it delicious, such as the Garlic Ginger Chili Oil.

    👩🏽‍🍳 Serve on rice with the plantain, and sprinkle with fresh coriander/cilantro and salted peanuts.

    • peeling a yam on a chopping board
      Peel ⅓ of a yam
    • cutting up a yam on a chopping board
      Cut up the yam into chunks around 1.5" / 3cm each side. Boil in water for 20 minutes or until a fork easily goes through them.
    • a saucepan with a African sauce next to it
      Get a saucepan ready and add the Zim's Tribe Sauce
    • pouring vegetable stock into the jar of African sauce
      Add the vegetable stock. Use the stock to swill round the Zim's sauce jar to get everything out of it. Cook for a few mins.
    • adding peanut butter to the Nigerian Stew
      Add the smooth peanut butter. Mix well to combine.
    • adding the beans to the Nigerian stew
      Add the beans and cook for a further five minutes.
    • adding the cooked yam to the Nigerian Stew
      Add the cooked yam. Cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, but not too vigorously so the yam pieces stay whole.
    • stirring the African peanut stew
      Cook the stew a little longer and it will thicken up (you could let it sit overnight to thicken up more)
    • copping up plantain on a chopping board
      Prepare the plantain by slicing it up
    • frying plantain in a frying pan
      Fry with Zim's Tribe infused oil
    • fried plantain on a plate
      Serve as an extra with the Nigerian Stew
    • Nigerian stew with yams and peanut butter in a bowl with rice
      Serve it all up with rice, fresh corriander and salted peanuts

    🥣Serving

    This Nigerian stew just on its own is delicious and full of those traditional Nigerian flavours. It's easily pimped up with some tasty extras, though. I've suggested fresh coriander/cilantro, salted peanuts (because they bring out the peanut taste EVEN more) and rice if you're extra hungry.

    Additional to this, and very important to me as it's one of my favourite ingredients, is fried plantain. It's a traditional African and Caribbean food which is like a savoury banana. When ripe and then fried, it takes on a sweet taste which is just divine. You can fry it in any oil, but I fried mine in Zim’s Tribe Garlic Ginger Chili Oil for extra flavour.

    You may also want some bread to mop up those mouth-watering African peanut stew juices. I made these incredible Jamaican Roti which are flakey and moorish, and just perfect for this dish.

    Nigerian stew with jars of Zim's Tribe sauce

    ❓FAQs

    Can the stew be frozen?

    Yes. It freezes very well in an airtight container.

    What if I can't eat peanuts?

    Other nut butters like almond butter will work if you can't have peanuts.

    Is there an alternative to beans for this Nigerian stew?

    You can leave the beans out altogether or use something like tofu instead.

    Is this recipe gluten and soy-free?

    Yes! It's both gluten and soy-free. We have lots of other gluten-free recipes you'd love.

    🍴Similar recipes

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    Vegan Mushroom & Smoked Tofu Bourguignon

    Lentil Koftas with Tomato Curry Coconut Sauce

    If you loved this Nigerian Stew as much as we did, please share it with your friends and give us a comment below.

    Vanessa x

    📖 Recipe

    Nigerian stew in a bowl

    Nigerian Peanut Yam Stew

    Vanessa Sturman
    This is a beautifully warming and hearty stew with traditional Nigerian flavours. The yams and peanut butter make it extra thick and filling. Perfect for an evening meal and for perhaps trying some new ingredients.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 35 mins
    Total Time 40 mins
    Course Dinner, lunch, main
    Cuisine african, nigerian
    Servings 2 people
    Calories 481 kcal

    Equipment

    • Chopping board
    • Saucepan
    • Vegetable knife
    • Chef's knife

    Ingredients Note:

    For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.

    (Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)

    Ingredients

    • 1 jar (1¼ cup) Zim's Tribe sauce (choose your level of heat from mild to extra hot)
    • ⅓ of a (2 cups) Medium African yam (this is about 500g or ~2 cups - use regular or sweet potatoes if you can’t find yam)
    • 85 g (⅓ cup) Smooth peanut butter
    • 1 tin/can Beans of choice (drained weight 1 ½ cups or 240g)
    • 500 ml (2 ⅛ cups) Vegetable stock
    • Salt and pepper to taste

    Extras to Serve (optional)

    • 1 Plantain (use an unripe banana if you can't find plantain)
    • 1½ teaspoon Zim’s Tribe Garlic Ginger Chili Oil (or another oil)
    • Bed of rice
    • Handful Salted peanuts
    • Fresh corriander / cilantro

    Instructions

    • Cut up the yam into chunks around 1.5" / 3cm each side. Boil in water for 20 minutes or until a fork easily goes through them. While the yams are cooking, prepare the rest of the stew and plantain.
    • In a saucepan, mix the stock and Zim’s Tribe Sauce on a medium heat for a few minutes.
    • Add the smooth peanut butter. Mix in well so it’s fully combined with the sauce and stock.
    • Then add the beans. Let them cook in the sauce for a further 5 minutes.
    • Optional for serving: Begin frying the plantain. Cut them up into slices about ¼ inch thick. Heat the Zim’s Tribe Garlic Ginger Chili Oil (if using) in a frying pan. Once it’s hot, fry the plantain for a few minutes on each side, and season with a little salt and pepper.
    • Drain the yam, and add to the stew. Cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, but not too vigorously so the yam pieces stay whole.
    • Serve the stew on a bed of rice, and with the plantain on the side. Sprinkle with salted peanuts and fresh coriander.

    Notes

    The stew will continue to thicken up, especially overnight (so totally yummy to make the night before).

    Nutrition

    Calories: 481kcalCarbohydrates: 59gProtein: 16gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 2980mgPotassium: 1851mgFiber: 10gSugar: 34gVitamin A: 3014IUVitamin C: 40mgCalcium: 65mgIron: 5mg
    Keyword curry, nigerian stew, peanut curry, peanut stew, stew
    Tried this recipe and loved it? Follow and Mention @vegan_larder or comment and ⭐ below

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    Reader Interactions

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    1. Gina says

      October 09, 2021 at 10:11 pm

      5 stars
      The peanut butter adds such a nice richness to the stew!

      Reply
      • Vanessa Sturman says

        October 13, 2021 at 8:25 pm

        Oh it does, doesn't it? I'm happy with peanut butter in ANYTHING 😜

        Reply
    2. Cate says

      October 09, 2021 at 10:17 pm

      Such a comforting and delicious fall meal! Love the Zim sauce in this!

      Reply
      • Vanessa Sturman says

        October 13, 2021 at 8:24 pm

        Oh thank you 😊 glad you enjoyed this meal x

        Reply
    3. Angela says

      October 09, 2021 at 10:18 pm

      5 stars
      What an amazing find this recipe is. I have tried something similar with kale & peanuts and was looking for a new recipe. I am sure glad I found this one and will make it again.

      Reply
      • Vanessa Sturman says

        October 13, 2021 at 8:24 pm

        Oh that's great! Ooooh kale and peanut also sounds yum 😋

        Reply
    4. Tara says

      October 09, 2021 at 11:00 pm

      5 stars
      Such wonderful flavors in this stew! It looks fantastic, especially paired with the plantains. Yum!

      Reply
      • Vanessa Sturman says

        October 13, 2021 at 8:23 pm

        Ha ha yes, I am also a plantain obsessive!

        Reply
    5. Anjali says

      October 09, 2021 at 11:52 pm

      5 stars
      I hadn't heard of zim's tribe sauce before but bought it for this recipe and I'm so glad I did! That sauce was so flavorful, and it made this recipe super easy to make but so satisfying! We absolutely loved it!

      Reply
      • Vanessa Sturman says

        October 13, 2021 at 8:23 pm

        Oh so pleased to hear this! It really is super yum 😋

        Reply

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