Domoda: Gambian Peanut Stew
I wouldn't be Gambian if I didn't do a post about domoda. Also known as maffe in Senegal, asindessi in Togo and aziin nusunnu in Benin, domoda is The Gambia's national dish. It's a delicious, hearty peanut stew often featuring chicken or beef. As mentioned in my post on churrah gerte, peanuts are omnipresent in Gambian cuisine. Whenever I feel a little homesick for my mother's cooking, domoda is my go-to meal. Everyone has their own vegetable preferences regarding what they like to throw in. I personally love to thrown in some sweet potatoes and carrots (which are delicious when tender), but sometimes I add bell peppers.
Domoda and brown rice.
Domoda
1 lb chicken breast, cut into ½ in. chunks
¼ cup peanut oil
2 large onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup natural, unsweetened peanut butter
3 cups of vegetable stock
2 cups water
Scotch bonnet chilies, diced
1 cup sweet potatoes, chopped (or the tuber of your choice)
2 carrots, sliced thickly
1 bay leaf
Salt to taste
Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the chicken to the pot and cook until lightly browned. The chicken does not need to be completely cooked through - it will finish cooking as it simmers in the stew.
Dilute the tomato paste in the water, add to the pot, and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the carrots, sweet potatoes, and chillies.
In a separate pan, sauté the onions and garlic until golden brown. Add the onion and garlic to the pot.
Add the bay leaf, salt, and the peanut butter. Adjust the thickness of the sauce by adding more peanut butter (to thicken) or adding more water (to make it thinner).
Reduce cover the pot and allow it to cook for 45 - 50 minutes while stirring occasionally to ensure the peanut butter does not stick to the bottom of the pot.
Serve hot over rice.*
*I chose to serve this over brown rice because I find that brown rice works better with thick stews. White rice can sometimes become a bit mushy. In Ghana, I've become particularly fond of Primelin Brown Rice.
Domoda is often eaten with chicken or beef, but it can also be adapted to vegetarian palettes. Throw in whatever you'd like -- squash, eggplant, yams, etc.
Gambian Classic: Churra gerte
Churra gerte is a traditional Gambian porridge made with boiled peanuts and rice. Think of it as a thicker oatmeal with a rich, slightly nutty taste. The base of the dish is a ground mixture of rice and the peanuts. Because the variety of peanuts found in the United States is often different from those commonly found in Gambia, my family would usually bring the pre-ground churra gerte mixture back home after visiting. Not sure how this recipe will taste with the peanut varieties found in the US, but it is worth a try! If you can find West African groundnuts, you'll be able to replicate the authentic taste. Churra gerte is a simple dish, but immensely satisfying.
The Gambia, the smallest nation in mainland Africa, is a resource-poor country, so peanuts are one of the main crops grown throughout the region. Gerte is the Wolof word for peanut (also called groundnut). Peanuts are ubiquitous in Gambian (as well as Senegalese) food. Domoda, a delicious peanut-based stew often served with chicken and a mix of vegetables, is The Gambia's national dish. In Senegal, the dish is called maffe. On the streets of Banjul, you'll also find grilled peanuts and peanut butter biscuits.
Peanuts were first introduced to Senegambia (the region that comprises The Gambia and Senegal) by the Portuguese in the 16th century.
Churra gerte (peanut-rice porridge)
1 cup raw peanuts (shelled with skin attached)
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
3.5 cups water
Sugar to taste
Condensed milk to taste
Optional: add some seeds and/or dried fruit. I added some raisins and sunflower seeds, but I've thrown in some dried mango and papaya in the past.
- With a mortar and pestle, pound the peanut and rice mixture until it is a fine consistency. If you have a food processor, you can use it instead to grind the mixture.
- Bring water to the boil. Stir in 1 cup of the peanut-rice mixture, then reduce heat to a simmer. If you have any remaining mixture, put it in a covered container and freeze it because churra gerte tends to mold easily.
- Stir continuously for 20 minutes until the churra gerte becomes thick. Large steam bubbles should periodically rise from the bottom of the pot and pop.
- Remove from heat. Serve warm with sugar and condensed milk and enjoy!