| African pumpkin and peanut stew |
| 3/4 cup dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight |
| olive oil |
| 1 onion, peeled and chopped |
| 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced |
| 1 red and 1 green hot chilli, seeded and finely chopped |
| 5 cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped |
| 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar, tightly packed |
| 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon |
| 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin powder |
| 1 medium butternut squash (about 600 g uncut), peeled, seeded and cut into 1.5 cm dice |
| 1 1/2 cups water |
| 1/4 cup peanut butter (the health store kind is best here) |
| sea salt and freshly ground black pepper |
| 1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped |
| 1 bunch fresh coriander, chopped |
Soak the black-eyed peas overnight, then drain, rinse and place in a large saucepan well covered with fresh water. Bring to the boil, boil hard for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat and let simmer for 45-60 minutes until tender. Drain.
While the beans are cooking, start the rest of the stew. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 7 minutes or until the onion is softening. Add the garlic, chilli, ginger, brown sugar, cinnamon and cumin and cook for another minute. Add the pumpkin and 1 cup of water, and stir well.
Measure out the peanut butter, and then gradually stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of water to form a thin paste. Add this to the stew, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about half an hour, until the pumpkin is tender. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. Add the drained, cooked black-eyed peas and the chopped peanuts, stir through, and let simmer for another 5-10 minutes.
Serve over rice, with some chopped coriander leaves sprinkled over.
15 January 2004
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