African Squash and Peanut Stew

This is one of those dishes that happens to be vegan whilst pleasing the most committed of carnivores and is the kind of simple, nourishing one-pot fare that a rainy day calls for. It’s a great way to use up the last of the squash – I used sweet potatoes here. Frozen spinach would be absolutely fine, and dried chilli and ground ginger could happily replace the fresh. 

Feeds 6-8

2 tbs oil

1 small onion, finely diced

½ butternut or 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 green chilli, seeded and diced, or 1 tsp dried chilli flakes

3 cloves of garlic, minced

3 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon ground coriander 

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon1 tin chickpeas and their water

1 tin coconut milk

1 tin chopped tomatoes

2 heaped tablespoons crunchy peanut butter

150g spinach, washed and shredded, or just defrosted

Juice of one lime (if possible), or lemon

Sea salt 

To serve:

1 handful fresh coriander, chopped

1 handful of roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

Rice, mash, bread or polenta

In a casserole, fry the onion and squash over medium heat until the onion is soft and the squash slightly golden, about 5-10 minutes. Add the fresh ginger, garlic, chilli, turmeric, ground coriander and cinnamon, and fry on for about 1 minute until the mix is fragrant. Add the coconut milk, tomatoes and chickpeas, including their water. Bring just to a boil and reduce to simmer (covered) until the squash is tender, about 15 minutes. To test it, stab a piece of squash with a fork, if it is soft, then it's ready, if not allow to cook a little longer. Stir in the peanut butter, adding a little water if necessary to keep a soft consistency. Simmer for a couple minutes.  Finally, add your spinach, allow to wilt, and stir through the lime juice. Taste, season, and serve topped with the crushed peanuts and chopped coriander.