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“Authentic root in an authentic meal” is a great description of this unique Mandinka dish; Domada “peanut stew”.
It is usually prepared using regular veggies such as pumpkins or even potato sauce with groundnut[peanut] sauce as its base ingredient. You could add or use chicken or beef instead, for variety and luxury’s sake.
What is Domada?
It is valid to wonder the history or relevance of the name ‘Domada”. In Mandinka, an ethnic group popular in Southern Mali, Gambia and Eastern Guinea, Domo means eating and Da is the word for a stew pot.
Is Domada The National Dish of Gambia?
Similar to Maafe, Domada is a national dish in Gambia. With this information, you can guess the wide variety of mouths that would be interested in eating it for its delicious and nutritional qualities.
Situated in West Africa, Gambia is the smallest country in the African mainland. Their economy is majorly dominated by farming fishing and tourism especially. It is this farming culture that orients their style of the peanut stew, Domada.
How to Cook Domada
The nutritional standard of this food is quite high when compared to the cost of its preparation. It is an advantage to have such an exquisite meal with one of the simplest methods of preparation.
For an average Gambian family, a little more luxury would be in using chicken or beef to garnish the dish instead of the regular vegetables. Other Ingredients for domada include; fresh tomatoes and tomato paste, onions[caramelized], chili pepper, seasoning cubes. Of course not forgetting the regular seasoning for your meat stock such as garlic and salt[to taste].
The following is a step by step process on how to make your Domada – Gambian peanut stew;
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven. Sauté [quickly fry in hot oil] the onions until golden.
- Add the meat and garlic and continue to sauté until the meat is no longer in its pink, fresh state.
- Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add tomato paste, chilies, peanut butter [well concentrated], and stir to combine.
- Add water and your choice of 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 to 40 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft, occasionally stirring—season with salt and pepper.
- Serve hot with rice.
The Domado peanut stew is widely known to always taste better the next day after cooking. This option is always open for exploration.
Domada (Gambian Peanut Stew)
Ingredients
- 1 lb beef stick or chicken breast, cut into ½ inch chunks () you can also 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
- 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
- Heat the oil in large Dutch oven. Sauté 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.
- Serve hot with rice. This stew tastes even better the next day.