West African Lamb in Peanut Sauce

West African Lamb in Peanut Sauce

This rich and satisfying lamb dish is perfect for warming up a chilly evening. Thanks to the spinach, it is packed with nutrients.  This sauce is also great way to get your kids to eat — and enjoy — their greens!

West African Lamb in Peanut Sauce | cookglobaleatlocal.comPeanut sauce has a special place in my family’s heart.  The matriarch of my husband’s family, his grandmother, adored chicken with peanut sauce.  It was her favorite food, and he has fond childhood memories of eating his grandmother’s fiery peanut sauce with chicken.

Amongst my husband’s ethnic group, the Appolo of Côte d’Ivoire, peanut sauces do not contain vegetables.  I adore the peanut sauces from his culture.  However, they feel like a guilty pleasure — too much fat and meat, and not enough nutrition.  Adding a few greens into the mix — as the northerners do in Côte d’Ivoire — assuages my guilt just enough to prepare this delicious sauce a couple of times a year.


West African Lamb in Peanut Sauce | cookglobaleatlocal.com

The Recipe

This particular recipe was inspired by Ndolé,  a Cameroonian sauce made with shrimp and smoked fish.  Since West African style smoked fish is a bit tricky to find in South African markets, I decided to vary the sauce a bit.  I’ve used tender local lamb,  instead of the gamier mutton.  I’ve also eliminated the smoked fish.

In West Africa, it is common to find the same sauce offered with multiple protein options.  Thus, this recipe would be equally delicious with beef or chicken, in lieu of the lamb.  Personally, I would choose whichever meat is freshest and most local.

As for the chilies, I have deliberately proposed one chili in the recipe.  However, in West Africa, rich, nut-based sauces are usually quite spicy.  When I prepare this sauce, I use 5 or 6 chilis as a starting point and break them down in the sauce to increase the heat.  Please feel free to adjust the number of chilies to your family’s taste.

Bon appétit!
Yum



Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.