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Home » Domoda (Gambian Peanut Stew)

Domoda (Gambian Peanut Stew)

March 2, 2013

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domoda gambian peanut stew recipe beef chicken sweet potato pumpkin

Domoda is the national dish of Gambia.  It is a delicious “groundnut stew” (peanuts) consisting of whatever vegetable happens to be available, typically pumpkin or sweet potatoes, and a saucy base. Whether vegetarian or including meat, the base is pretty consistent: A rich and flavorful sauce featuring ground peanut paste (or natural, unsweetened peanut butter), fresh tomatoes, and tomato paste. Caramelized onions, chicken and tomato stock, and hot chili peppers are also added.  Maggi bouillon cubes are readily available in many parts of Africa and are commonly used in African cooking, including this dish.

Situated in West Africa, Gambia was a British commonwealth until 1965 when it gained independence. The land is relatively more fertile than other parts of Africa and Gambia’s economy is dominated by farming, fishing and tourism.  Thus, they’re able to grow things like the pumpkins and sweet potatoes that are common to Gambian cuisine.

Though Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, it’s culture and history are diverse. Some of this history was popularized in the Alex Haley book and TV series “Roots,” parts of which were set in the Gambia.

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A very poor country, a third of Gambia’s population lives below the international poverty line of $1.25 a day. Vegetarian dishes are common in Gambia because of the expense of meat. Domoda is often eaten without meat as well.  But when a Gambian family is able to enjoy a little luxury, they’ll often add chicken or beef to this national dish.  It’s humbling preparing something that by our standards is simple and relatively inexpensive, knowing that for other countries, like Gambia, it’s a rare luxury.  I’ve made this dish different times with beef and chicken and they’re both delicious.  This time I used beef, but chicken can be used interchangeably (the resulting stew will be a little lighter in color).

This Daring Gourmet version is true to authentic roots.  It’s a simple dish to make with a rich and rewarding flavor.  This is African comfort food at its best, folks, and believe me, it’s a winner!

domoda gambian peanut stew recipe beef chicken sweet potato pumpkin

Let’s get started!

Heat the oil in large Dutch oven or heavy saucepan.  Saute the onions until golden. Add the beef and garlic and continue to sauté until the beef is no longer pink. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes.

domoda gambian peanut stew recipe beef chicken sweet potato pumpkin

Add the tomato paste, chilies, peanut butter and stir to combine.

domoda gambian peanut stew recipe beef chicken sweet potato pumpkin

Add the water and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

domoda gambian peanut stew recipe beef chicken sweet potato pumpkin

Add squash, cover, and continue to cook for 35-40 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.

domoda gambian peanut stew recipe beef chicken sweet potato pumpkin

Serve hot with rice. This stew tastes even better the next day.

domoda gambian peanut stew recipe beef chicken sweet potato pumpkin

 

4.9 from 14 reviews
Domada (Gambian Peanut Stew)
 
Print
Prep time
10 mins
Cook time
1 hour
Total time
1 hour 10 mins
 
The national dish of Gambia. A thick, saucy stew served over rice.
: The Daring Gourmet, www.daringgourmet.com
Cuisine: African
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 lb beef steak or 1 lb chicken breast, cut into ½ inch chunks (or use bone-in chicken pieces and simmer them in the sauce; once cooked leave the pieces whole or remove the meat from the bones and add it back to the stew.)
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 Roma tomatoes, diced
  • ½ can (3 oz) tomato paste
  • ¾ cup natural, unsweetened peanut butter
  • 4 Maggi or Knorr tomato bouillon cubes
  • 3 cups water
  • Scotch bonnet chilies, diced, according to heat preference
  • 4 cups pumpkin or sweet potato, diced
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil in large Dutch oven. Saute the onions until golden. Add the beef and garlic and continue to sauté until the beef is no longer pink. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste, chilies, peanut butter and stir to combine. Add the water and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add squash, cover, and continue to cook for 35-40 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Serve hot with rice. This stew tastes even better the next day.
3.2.2124

 

Domada Beef 5

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Filed Under: Affiliate, Africa, All Recipes, By Country or Region, Chicken, Disclosure, Food, Gambia, Gluten Free, Main Dishes, Meat, Paleo, Soups & Stews Tagged With: Africa, African, authentic, cuisine, domada, domoda, food, Gambia, gluten free, groundnut, paleo, peanut butter, peanuts, pumpkin, recipe, rice, sauce, squash, stew, sweet potatoes

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71 Responses

  1. Twesa says

    May 22, 2020 at 10:52 pm

    So tasty!!!!!! I made this today and enjoyed it so much!!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      May 22, 2020 at 10:58 pm

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Twesa, thank you!

      Reply
  2. Maneesha says

    February 13, 2020 at 5:16 am

    Hello! I made this and loved it! I made without meats, just with sweet potato, calabaza squash, and with spinach – turned out so well! Thank you for a great recipe! I love your website!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      February 13, 2020 at 9:12 am

      Thank you so much, Maneesha, I really appreciate the compliment and so happy you enjoyed this recipe!

      Reply
    • Anonymous says

      September 27, 2020 at 4:52 pm

      Way to go Maneesha, loved the idea of having no meat but spinach!!

      Reply
  3. Victoria says

    September 21, 2019 at 9:09 am

    Yum! Takes me back to my time in Lamin and the wonderful people i met there. Making this dish is “ndanka ndanka” – thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  4. Bessie says

    December 20, 2018 at 12:31 am

    Hi Kimberly,

    I am going to make this dish next week. I can’t find Scotch Bonnet chilies here in Holland, so I was wondering if I could use Habenero chilies instead.

    Kind regards, Bessie

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      December 20, 2018 at 2:13 pm

      Hi Bessie, absolutely, you can use any hot chile pepper of your choice. Just make sure you like a lot of heat otherwise greatly reduce the quantity! :)

      Reply
    • inge says

      September 26, 2020 at 5:17 pm

      Aren’t Habaneros the same as Scotch Bonnets?

      My husband who does all the cooking loves spicy food from around the world. I’ve just emailed him this recipe. We will prepare the dish next week. Just in time, with pumpkins on the market now.

      Reply
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kimberly killebrew the daring gourmet

Welcome!  I’m Kimberly and I share delicious originals, revitalized classics and authentic dishes from around the world.  Come travel the world through your taste buds!

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The Daring Gourmet is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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