K’s Peanut Stew

It was my brother-in-law’s birthday a few days ago, so I’m posting his peanut stew recipe. Happy birthday, K!

The little ones might not be able to help you make this, but this is terrifically yummy, and I think they’ll be happy to help you eat it.

Great out of the pot, this stew is also most yummy as leftovers (wrap it in a tortilla for lunch!). As with any recipe, play with it, tweak it, and make it your own. It took me a try or three to get what I like, and now I usually add pineapple, raisins, and apples. Yum!

Okay, here we go!

Sauté Phase
Place the following in 3 tablespoons of hot oil in a large saucepan:

• one large onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced (mixed with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon sugar, which help release the flavor)
• 2-inch cube fresh ginger, minced
• a pinch of red pepper flakes (careful); or you can add fresh pepper (like Thai pepper) later in the simmer phase
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin

Sauté until the onion starts to get translucent.

Simmer Phase
When things have sautéed slightly, add the following:

• half of a head of red cabbage, sliced
• chopped red or green bell pepper

Stir in the cabbage and the pepper until they are fully coated with the oil, then add the following:

• 1 cup of tomato paste
• 2 sweet potatoes, cubed
• chopped carrots (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 a cup of water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cake firm tofu, cubed

Simmer on low heat for about an hour or more (until the sweet potatoes are essentially cooked and soft enough), adding salt to taste as things cook through. You might want to check the liquids, too.

Put 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter (any kind will do, but the homemade type stuff is terrific here, and I prefer chunky to creamy) in a cup. Add several tablespoons hot liquid from the stew and stir until runny.

Add to the stew, and simmer 5-10 minutes more.

Tastes great with fragrant jasmine rice.

Serves: a whole lot of people.