1.28.2010

Nigerian Stew

I am related to some seriously good cooks. On my Dad's side of the family, every birthday, anniversary or holiday is spent around tables laden with Danish specialties, family favorites or dishes featuring the fruits of my uncles hunting and fishes trips.

But there's one dish that has no Danish roots whatsoever, and it most certainly does not feature salmon, trout or moose steak.

We grew up calling it Nigerian Stew, though I have no idea if it really is Nigerian. Oz, perhaps you know? :-)

Whatever it is, I love it! :-) It's the strangest concoction of meat, fruits, vegetables, rice and peanut butter. Yep, you read that correctly. :-)

It's the perfect dish for large groups since everyone can pile on what they like and skip the bits that make them squeamish.

When my cousin Nina invited me over for her birthday dinner this month (Happy Birthday, Nin!!), I was thrilled to hear she was making Nigerian Stew. She did a fantastic job, spending ages chopping everything beautifully. :-)

The meal starts with a rich stew of hamburger, tomatoes, onion, peanut butter and cayenne pepper.



 This is ladled over fluffy Basmati rice.



Then the fun begins!! You start to pile on whatever topping suits your fancy. Me? I like them all - except mushrooms. Blech. :-)

You can choose from cucumber, bell pepper, tomatoes, strawberries, honeydew and cantaloupe...



...and don't forget my absolute favorite ingredient: bananas. It's just not the same without them.




Finish it off with a sprinkling of Golden raisins...



...ground peanuts and coconut, and you're all set.



Now there's nothing left to do but sit back and dig into the mound of strange deliciousness on your plate.




Nigerian Stew

Ingredients for the Sauce:

1 pound hamburger
15 ounce tomato sauce
15 ounce canned diced tomatoes
1/2 - 3/4 cup peanut butter
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp cayenne pepper
salt

Directions:
  1. Fry hamburger, mix in rest of ingredients and simmer until ready to serve.
Remaining Ingredients:

basmati rice, cooked according to instructions
fresh tomatoes
cucumber
onion
green pepper
shredded coconut
mushrooms
ground peanuts
bananas
pineapple
honeydew
cantaloupe
grapes
raisins



Directions:


  1. Chop all fresh ingredients and assemble in small bowls with spoons. 
  2. Spoon rice onto plates.
  3. Top with sauce.
  4. Add whatever ingredients you like. 

16 comments:

  1. This is the oddest recipe I've ever heard of! I'll have to give it a try, just to make sure you're not pulling my leg;-)

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  2. Isn't it crazy? But you won't believe how delicious it is!! Honest! :-) I'll even take the first bite to show you it's good. :-)

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  3. Thats a very delicious stew truly...and the combis are fantastic......

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  4. Thank you, Vanilla! :-) The combination is unusual but SO delicious :-)

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  5. A very unusual combinations of flavors but, they come together for something really good. I love it!!! This stew has a lot of charcter.

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  6. You are so lucky to be surrounded by good cook. This stew looks delicious!

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  7. I'm gonna have to try this, Krista, and invite some adventurous food lovers over to share in the experience- maybe Jordan & Tracy! Missing you...

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  8. I agree, Velva - LOTS of character. :-)

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  9. I sure am, Ellie! I feel spoiled rotten. :-)

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  10. Oh yes, Yeller, I think they'd be perfect guinea pigs for you. :-)

    I miss you so much too. I will ring you soon. :-) SO excited to have your folks here this weekend!! Give the girlies hugs for me. :-)

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  11. Ooh you know I totally get it! At first I thought peanut buttter, how unusual but then satay sauce is quite similar! :)

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  12. Hey, you're right, Lorraine! I didn't think of that. :-)

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  13. Mmmm ... love this recipe, Krista!

    Peanut (aka Groundnut) stew most definitely has a West African origin. One of my all-time fav soups is a "Moosewood" recipe for West African Peanut Soup (which for some reason, I can't cut & paste into this lil box.) Give it a Google (include "Moosewood") and you'll find it on Recipezaar. I prefer to amp up the quantity of fresh ginger and replace the cayenne with dried chilis. And definitely use sweet potatoes (or balance with white/yellow taters) for a sweeter, richer taste! Oh, and make certain the PB is in its naked, UNsweetened state...
    Jacqueline @ Bliss

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  14. :-).....reminds me of a sauce we make with corned beef/mince! This sounds like a meal from the north of Nigeria where they use a lot of peanuts (commonly called groundnuts) in their cooking. IT does look LOVELY too!

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  15. Ohhh, that sounds AMAZING, Jacqueline! I will definitely look that up. Yum, YUM! :-)

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  16. Ahhh, thank you, Oz! :-) Your sauce sounds amazing too! What do you use it on?

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