Joy Onuorah

Groundnut soup (also called peanut stew) is a common but delicious Nigerian delicacy which is commonly eaten with rice, a starch like eba or pounded yam.

Here’s how to make it:

Ingredients

Braised Meat

2.5 lbs stewing goat meat

1 red onion sliced

2 tsp Bouillon

1 tsp salt

Groundnut Soup/Peanut Stew

2 cups raw skinned peanuts

3 scotch bonnet or habanero peppers roughly chopped useless if you do not like spicy food

0.5 lbs chopped spinach about 5 cups chopped, about 2 cups frozen

2 tbsp West African dried shrimp powder aka crayfish

3 tbsp palm oil

Salt to taste

Steps

In a stew pot, braise the goat meat over low- medium heat with the onions, bullion and salt for 30-35 minutes. If you are cooking goat meat from an older or male goat, you may need to cook the meat for longer for it to be tender.

Next, toast the peanuts in a pan, stirring continuously over low heat, till the nuts turn toasty in colour. It should take about 15- 25 minutes depending on how hot the pan is.

Allow the nuts to cool completely before grinding.

In a blender, food processor, mortar and pestle, grind the peanuts into a rough powder. Be mindful not to blend into butter (it doesn’t hurt if blended to butter, this is just how I learned to do it).

Mix the braising the liquid from braising the goat meat and water (should make up about 3 cups of liquid) with the ground peanuts and scotch bonnet peppers in a pot making sure there are no peanut lumps. Bring this mixture to a gentle boil over low- medium heat for about 10 minutes, mixing continuously to prevent burning.

At this stage, you may add more or less water depending on the consistency you prepare. If you prefer a lighter soup, add more water. If you prefer a thicker soup add no more water. Note that as the stew continues to cook, it usually thickens up. It also thickens a little more once it cools down.

After 10 minutes, add in the palm oil, braised meat, crayfish, and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add in the chopped spinach and simmer for 5 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.

Take the stew off the heat and serve.