African Sweet Potato Stew

The list of ingredients may seem long, but so much of this is spice that the actual prep time isn’t as much as you’d think. The recipe makes a huge vat of stew, so you can package and freeze it for later consumption, too. 

Source: adapted from The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook

Ingredients

1 tablespoon
coconut oil (or extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic)
1
large onion (chopped)
1
thumb-sized piece of ginger root (peeled and chopped)
4 cloves
garlic (chopped)
1⁄2 cup
chopped cilantro
1
red bell pepper (cored and chopped)
1
small jalapeno pepper (minced, or use 1/2 tsp chili flakes)
1 tablespoon
ground cumin
1 teaspoon
whole mustard seeds (brown or yellow)
2 teaspoons
ground coriander
1 teaspoon
ground turmeric
1 teaspoon
paprika
1⁄4 teaspoon
cayenne pepper
1 can
(28 oz) diced tomato
2
medium sweet potatoes (chopped into 1-inch cubes)
2
medium white potatoes (chopped into 1-inch cubes)
1 can
(13 oz) full fat coconut milk
1⁄3 cup
almond butter (natural, smooth, or use peanut butter)
1 pound
collard greens (ribs removed, shredded)
2 cups
chickpeas (cooked)
Yields:
Servings

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, ginger, garlic and cilantro and saute until the onion is translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the red pepper, jalapeno, cumin, mustard seeds, corinder, turmeric, paprika and cayenne. Cook for a couple more minutes. Add the tomatoes, sweet potatoes, potatoes and coconut milk. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes.

Place the almond butter in a small bowl or glass measuring cup and scoop about 1/2 cup of the liquid from the stew, adding it to the nut butter; mix well, until smooth. Pour the mixture back into the pot and blend it in. Add the collards and chickpeas and continue to cook until the greens are soft, another 5 - 10 minutes. If the sauce is too thin, allow to simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until desired thickness is reached.

Serve over rice or cooked quinoa. May be frozen. (Recipe♦105)

Dietary Preferences: