🇹🇿 Tanzanian · Meat Dishes
🥜 Tanzanian Beef Peanut Stew
Mchuzi wa Nyama na Karanga
Mchuzi wa Nyama na Karanga — Tanzanian beef and peanut stew. Tender beef simmered in a rich sauce of ground peanuts, tomatoes, and spices. A thick, nourishing, deeply satisfying stew from central Tanzania — the peanut sauce provides protein and richness that transforms the dish.
Peanut stew is one of central Tanzania's most beloved dishes — the ground peanuts create a sauce of extraordinary richness and depth that coats the beef perfectly. It is a dish of warmth, nourishment, and deep satisfaction.
Ingredients
Equipment: Large pot, Blender or mortar for peanuts
- 700g beef — cubed
- 1 cup raw peanuts — roasted and ground (or 4 tbsp peanut butter)
- 2 onions — diced
- 4 tomatoes — diced
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp ginger
- 3 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp salt
- 3 cups water
- ¼ cup coriander
Method
- Roast peanuts in a dry pan until golden. Cool and grind coarsely.
- Brown beef. Remove.
- Cook onions until golden. Add garlic, ginger, spices.
- Add tomatoes. Cook 8 minutes.
- Return beef. Add water. Simmer covered 40 minutes.
- Mix ground peanuts with ½ cup warm water to a paste. Add to pot.
- Simmer 15—20 more minutes until sauce is thick and richly flavoured.
- Garnish with coriander.
Chef Tips
- Freshly roasted and ground peanuts are vastly better than commercial peanut butter.
- Mix peanut paste with warm water first — prevents lumping.
- The peanut sauce should be thick and coating.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Adding dry ground peanuts directly — lumps.
- Commercial peanut butter substituted without adjusting salt.
The Science
Ground peanuts contain protein and fat that emulsify into the stew liquid during cooking, creating a naturally thick, rich sauce without the need for flour or starch. The peanut fat carries the spice flavours throughout the sauce.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- Complete protein from beef and peanuts.
- Peanuts add healthy fats.
- Very high in iron.
Cultural Note
Beef peanut stew represents the culinary traditions of Tanzania's interior — where groundnuts have been grown and cooked with for centuries, long before the coast's coconut influence reached inland.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Refrigerate 4 days. Freeze 3 months.
Reheating: Gently — peanut sauce can stick.
Serve with: Ugali (TZA001), Wali (TZA017), Sukuma Wiki