🇹🇿 Tanzanian / Swahili · Swahili & Coastal Cuisine
🥜 Swahili Groundnut Stew
Mchuzi wa Karanga wa Kiswahili
Swahili Groundnut Stew — a rich peanut sauce stew with Zanzibar spices, coconut milk, and mixed vegetables. The coastal fusion of the inland peanut tradition with coastal coconut — richer and more aromatic than either alone.
Swahili groundnut stew is the coastal meeting point of two great Tanzanian flavour traditions — the inland peanut stew and the coastal coconut curry. Combined with the Zanzibar spice palette, it produces a vegetarian stew of extraordinary richness.
Ingredients
Equipment: Large pot
- 5 tbsp peanut butter
- 200ml coconut milk
- 2 onions
- 3 tomatoes
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp ginger
- 2 tbsp oil
- 200g sweet potato — cubed
- 150g green beans
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp cardamom
- 2 tsp salt
- 3 cups water
- ¼ cup coriander
Method
- Heat oil. Cook onions until golden.
- Add garlic, ginger, and spices. Add tomatoes. Cook 6 minutes.
- Add sweet potato and water. Simmer 12 minutes.
- Add green beans. Simmer 6 more minutes.
- Mix peanut butter with ½ cup warm water. Add to pot.
- Add coconut milk. Simmer gently 8 minutes.
- Garnish with coriander.
Chef Tips
- Mix peanut paste with warm water first.
- Add coconut milk after peanuts — prevents curdling.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Adding dry peanut paste — lumps.
- Boiling coconut milk.
The Science
See TZA049 and TZA091 for peanut and coconut milk science.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- Very high plant protein.
- Coconut milk MCTs.
- Multiple vitamins from vegetables.
Cultural Note
Swahili groundnut stew is the taste of two traditions meeting — the inland peanut and the coastal coconut, unified by the Zanzibar spice palette into something that belongs entirely to the coast.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Refrigerate 4 days.
Reheating: Gently with splash of water.
Serve with: Ugali (TZA001), Wali wa Nazi (TZA002)