Discover 9 Mouth-Watering Variations Of The West African Peanut Soup
The West African peanut soup is a hearty, protein-packed stew whose ingredients appear in many cuisines across West and Central Africa. The high protein content obviously comes from the main ingredient, peanuts. However, this amazing stew can be enjoyed either as a vegetarian entree or with chicken. It’s a win-win for both vegans and meat lovers. Peanut soup is often accompanied by fufu, a staple accompaniment in most countries in West Africa.
This delicious African peanut stew is a perfect meal for a cold rainy night. It’s also perfect for a cosy night in because of its thick consistency. Why? Scientists have proven that after a large meal, the human body often feels tired due to its high glycaemic index. This means that glucose is released quickly into the bloodstream. This in return makes you feel sleepy, warm and cosy.
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This delicacy is identified by different names across West and Central Africa. For example, groundnut soup in Ghana and domodah or tigadegena in Mali. Where ‘tige’ means peanut, ‘dege’ means paste and ‘na’ means sauce.
Why do we call it the African Peanut stew?
Peanuts are not native to Africa, they are originally from South America. So why do we call it the African Peanut Stew? The legumes came into the continent via Spanish and Portuguese colonialists from South America. Due to this, no one knows exactly when the first African peanut stew was made.
Historians were able to cite West Africa as the stew’s place of origin. Particularly, from the Bambara and Mandinka people of Mali. This peanut stew is one of the staple foods in Mali and they call it tigadegena which translates to ‘peanut butter sauce’ in English.
What is the connection between the African peanut stew and the American Kwanzaa holiday?
Kwanzaa is an American celebration that takes place every year from December 26th to 1st January. Kwanzaa is a celebration of the African-American culture and heritage that was born during a period of racial unrest in the United States.
Activist Maulana Karenga created the holiday based on the harvest festival traditions from different parts of Africa. It was first celebrated in 1966 during the aftermath of the watts riot. It was specifically an African-American holiday.
The goal of the celebration was to give blacks an opportunity to celebrate their history and themselves rather than imitate the practices of the dominant society. Don’t get this wrong, most African-Americans who celebrate Kwanzaa also celebrate Christmas.
On the last day of the celebration, the community comes together for a feast called Karamu. Peanut stew is often an integral dish of the feast. Peanuts came to America with enslaved Africans and it sustained them during the brutal days of slavery. African-Americans serve the delicious peanut stew to celebrate the legume’s ties to their own ancestral roots.
What is peanut soup made of?
You can think of peanut soup as a sauce made with groundnuts/peanuts, tomatoes, various vegetables, chicken or any other meat of your choice. This dish has many twists, its additional ingredients vary by region. Some regions include yams, various spices and cooked greens in their peanut stew.
Africans accompany this peanut stew with rice, millet, fufu, couscous or sweet potatoes. These accompaniments or any other condiments added also vary by region.
Is peanut stew good for my health?
It’s very normal to have questions like, how could something this scrumptious actually be healthy? First things first, you’ve probably heard that peanuts are fattening, right? We are more than glad to inform you that that is only a myth. As a matter of fact, peanuts contain a lot of fat content but the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat present in peanuts is actually good for you.
Peanuts deliver three micronutrients in one serving- Protein, fat and carbohydrates. It is definitely not as healthy as broccoli or spinach but it’s a very good source of vitamin B6, vitamin E, vitamin B3, magnesium, folate, manganese and copper. Peanuts also contain the following in small amounts; potassium, selenium, zinc, vitamin B5 and iron.
Studies show that peanuts slow down cellular ageing and promote good heart health. Peanuts also contain resveratrol that fights free radicals that can cause cancer or heart disease. These legumes have the ability to produce good cholesterol and reduce LDL(bad cholesterol) therefore reducing the risk of developing gall stones. So the answer is yes, peanut butter stew is in fact very good for your health. So good that doctors recommend having peanuts at least 5 times a week to reduce the risk of getting diabetes.
Why not incorporate peanuts into your diet with our delicious peanut stew recipes?
9 Best African Peanut Soup Recipes
You are in for quite the treat with these recipes. They are simple, delicious and easy to follow. This amazing stew is originally served hot and spicy. Feel free to use a bit of jalapeno or cayenne pepper if you are a spicy food lover.
When you finally decide to try one of these African Peanut stew recipes, remember to honour the meal’s authenticity, culture and history as we’ve done with this article. Enjoy!
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