Ainsley Harriott’s Sweet Potato, Spinach and Peanut Stew
Heady with spices and Scotch bonnet chilli, this hearty sweet potato, spinach & peanut stew from Ainsley Harriott makes for an easy vegan midweek meal.
Introduction
This is a hearty vegan version of one of my favourite one-pots, peanut butter chicken stew. It’s so simple to make and yet it’s incredibly flavourful. Peanut butter is a fantastic ingredient for flavouring and thickening stews and I like to use a crunchy version so there are extra nuts in the sauce. For the series I visited the Funky Nut Company in Birkenhead and they made me a peanut butter flavoured with Scotch bonnet chilli just for this recipe – fantastic! Serve with your favourite grains or roti.
Ingredients
| 2 tbsp | coconut or olive oil |
| 1 | red onion, roughly chopped |
| 3 | garlic cloves, minced |
| 4cm piece of | fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped |
| 1 | Scotch bonnet chilli, left whole (or 1 red chilli, finely chopped) |
| 1 heaped tsp | sweet paprika (unsmoked) |
| ½ tsp | ground turmeric |
| 5 | cloves, ground |
| 2 | bay leaves |
| 700g | sweet potato, peeled and cut into large chunks |
| 1 | red pepper, de-seeded and cut into chunks |
| 1 x 227g tin | chopped tomatoes |
| 1 tbsp | tomato purée |
| 1 x 400g tin | black-eyed peas or black beans, drained and rinsed |
| 150g | crunchy peanut butter |
| 350–400ml | vegetable stock |
| 180g | baby spinach leaves |
| 2 tbsp | chopped coriander, plus extra leaves for serving |
| ½ | lemon, for squeezing |
| sea salt and freshly ground black pepper |
Essential kit
You will need: a heavy-based lidded saucepan or Dutchie pot.
Method
Heat the oil in a heavy-based lidded saucepan or Dutchie pot over a medium heat and add the onion. Cook for 4–6 minutes until softened but not coloured. Add the garlic, ginger, chilli, spices and bay leaves and cook for a further 2 minutes, adding a splash of water if needed. Add the sweet potato and red pepper and cook for 2–3 minutes to combine the flavours. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato purée, black-eyed peas, peanut butter and 350ml stock until well combined. Season to taste.
Cover the pot and gently simmer over a low-medium heat for 20–25 minutes or until the sweet potato is tender. Stir every now and then, to prevent anything sticking to the base of the pot, adding a little more stock if needed. Stir in the spinach until just wilted. Stir in the coriander then finish with a good squeeze of lemon and check the seasoning. Remove the Scotch bonnet and bay leaves before serving.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with your favourite
grains or my roti.
Reviews
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