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    Home > Healthy Vegan Recipes

    Vegan African Peanut Stew with Eggplant and Okra

    Posted: Sep 3, 2015 ยท Updated: Nov 21, 2021

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    A delicious, bubbling pot of African Peanut Stew with bits of okra, eggplant and sweet potatoes floating in it. This recipe is gluten-free, vegan, and soy-free.
    Vegan African Peanut Stew in a bowl with a garnish of slit green chili peppers and peanuts.

    Maybe I should have called this the Recipe with the Veggies Everyone Loves to Hate. But why get off to a bad start when this vegan African Peanut Stew is so, so, so very good.

    Although I bashed the okra and the eggplant there, these two veggies are actually top favorites in our home. Everyone loves them, including little Jay, and Desi would lap them up if I were to serve them for breakfast and dessert.

    A bowl of vegan African Peanut Stew with a garnish of chilies - holycowvegan.net

    As for me, okra was my favorite vegetable growing up (in India they go by the rather Halloweeny name "lady's fingers"), and it was because my mom knew just how to make them: the little rounds of okra, roasted in a kadhai, or an Indian wok, would be tender, perfectly crisp, and would have no scary slime clinging to them. Okra has a rather neutral taste and a few simple spices, like red chilies and mustard seeds, would add incredible, subtle flavor. It was, quite simply, the most perfect vegetable dish.

    To date that is my most favorite way to cook and eat okra, but sometimes I like to stray. One of my favorite okra recipes is this gluten-free vegan gumbo, which I make again and again. Now, I am adding this African Peanut Stew to that list.

    Vegan African Peanut Stew in a bowl with a spoon and a napkin in the background -- holycowvegan.net

    Something strange happens to okra when it is boiled in a pot of liquid-- instead of becoming slimier, as you would expect it to, it thickens the stew and becomes perfectly tender and delicious. The eggplant, another reviled veggie, makes a perfect score in this stew too, becoming soft and rather melt-in-the-mouth. If you didn't like okra, or eggplant, or both, this is the stew to change your mind. Bringing all of this goodness together is the smooth creaminess of peanut butter and the garlicky, big bite of the Harissa paste.

    If you still aren't convinced, here's what this recipe really boils down to: a delicious, bubbling pot of peanut butter with some incredible spices and veggies floating in it. Could you say no to that?

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    African Peanut Stew in a bowl with a spoon.
    African Peanut Ste with Okra and Eggplant

    African Peanut Stew with Eggplant and Okra

    A delicious, bubbling pot of African Peanut Stew with bits of okra, eggplant and sweet potatoes floating in it. This recipe is gluten-free, vegan, and soy-free.
    5 from 25 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Review Recipe
    Course: Stew
    Cuisine: African
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Keyword: African Peanut Stew
    Prep Time: 20 mins
    Cook Time: 45 mins
    Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins
    Servings: 12 servings
    Calories: 187kcal
    Author: Vaishali ยท Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes

    Ingredients 

    • 20 pods of okra, cut into thin rounds
    • 10 small round eggplants, cut into a small dice (preferably, go for the small eggplants used in Indian cooking, or Japanese eggplants, which are very tender. If using Japanese eggplants, use five. The large variety is fine too, at a pinch-- use half of a large one in this recipe)
    • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
    • 2 tablespoon grated ginger
    • 2 green chili peppers like serrano or jalapeno (optional -- you also add Harissa at the the end and that has plenty of heat. If you had to pick one, pick the Harissa)
    • 1 large sweet potato, diced
    • 1 large onion diced
    • 2 tomatoes, pureed
    • 2 tablespoon tomato paste (tomato ketchup is a neat substitute-- you won't be able to tell the difference because this recipe already has some sweetness because of the peanuts)
    • ยพ cup peanut butter (I like using smooth but use chunky by all means for more texture to your stew)
    • ยฝ cup peanuts
    • 5 cups vegetable stock. Use water at a pinch
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • ยผ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
    • 2 tablespoon coriander seeds
    • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
    • ยฝ cup Harissa paste
    • Salt to taste
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    Instructions

    • Powder the fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds and cumin seeds and set aside.
    • In a large pot, heat the oil.
    • Add the onions and saute over medium heat for about 7-8 minutes until they're soft.
    • Add the ginger and stir to mix, about thirty seconds, then add the powdered spices and the tomato paste.
    • Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato paste is almost dry. Add the tomato puree, paprika, peanut butter and vegetable stock.
    • Stir until everything's well combined. Add all the vegetables and peanuts and bring the stew to a boil.
    • Cover, turn the heat to low, and let the stew cook 30 minutes or until all the vegetables are really tender. Add more water or vegetable stock if the stew gets really thick.
    • Stir in the harissa, a little at a time, until you have the heat you desire. Add salt to taste.
    • Serve hot with rice or quinoa.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 187kcal | Carbohydrates: 13.7g | Protein: 7.1g | Fat: 13g | Potassium: 393mg | Fiber: 4.1g | Vitamin A: 850IU | Vitamin C: 15.7mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 2.9mg
    Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment and recipe rating below!
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    About Vaishali


    I cook and eat simple, tasty and nutritious plant-based food in my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. Read more about me here.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ti

      December 04, 2020 at 8:38 am

      So many ingredients. Can u suggest curry paste/ shortcuts. I am retired and getting to stores that carry some of these is difficult. Would be helpful if you could start with some recipes with less ingredients and build on these gradually. Harissa paste? How long would that sit around?

      Reply
      • Jo

        April 06, 2022 at 2:16 pm

        5 stars
        I am retired and disabled and make this dish all the time as its so easy. If shopping is a problem, you can order the spices on line. I always keep frozen okra, garlic and ginger to make life easier so I only have to chop the onion aubergine and sweet potato. I usually use tinned tomatoes too. It's delicious, nutritious and really easy to make. Not too much standing and shopping and only one pan to wash up. Give it a go ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
        • Vaishali

          April 06, 2022 at 4:10 pm

          Hi Jo, thanks for the comment and the great tips!

          Reply
    2. Jenna

      September 05, 2020 at 8:14 pm

      5 stars
      Awesome dish, I did sautรฉ my vegetables separately in palm oil first and roasted my sweet potatoโ€™s and then added the veggies to the base. Also used chunky peanut butter and added a little extra for more flavor. This dish was delicious and allows you to make modifications to fit your taste buds.

      Reply
    3. Manning a Vegitarian in Training

      March 31, 2019 at 7:50 pm

      5 stars
      I mostly cook with a presssure cooker now just because of time.

      I sarted with a pot of white beans (1 cup beans which I pre soaked 8 hours, drain and add 2.5 cups of water and a small can of crushed tomatos then cook for 15 min.) to add a protein source.

      Instead of all the individual spices I also went with 1TBS of regular curry powder and 1 TBS of hot curry powder 1 TBS of curry soup mix with cumin, and w/b mustard seed which I browned with 2 TBS of oil with the onion.

      When the beans hit 15 min, I cooled them and added the eggplant and okara, closed it up and cooked for 10 min. More.

      The result was outstanding, many thanks.

      Reply
    4. Supriya

      April 11, 2018 at 1:52 pm

      5 stars
      Made it for dinner this week and the whole family loved it (including the โ€œno eggplantโ€ contingent). In rotation.

      Reply
    5. Dondi

      March 31, 2018 at 4:23 pm

      5 stars
      Winner!!!

      Reply
    6. Elyse

      March 17, 2018 at 9:55 pm

      5 stars
      This was incredible! I made it tonight for dinner and was seriously not disappointed! I was a bit worried cause peanut butter often signals โ€œheavy,โ€ but the other ingredients kept it lighter, but still hearty. Thank you! Excellent recipe.

      Reply
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    Vaishali Honawar, Holy Cow Vegan author, profile photo

    Hi, I'm Vaishali! I cook, eat and share easy, tasty and nutritious plant-based recipes from my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. 

    More about me โ†’

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    Vaishali Honawar, Holy Cow Vegan author, profile photo

    Hi, I'm Vaishali! I cook, eat and share easy, tasty and nutritious plant-based recipes from my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. 

    More about me โ†’

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