Today’s recipe stems from a desire to cook with a new vegetable: okra. I have long thought about trying to cook with it as it is heavily present in Indian food which I adore. When I set out to use okra, I knew essentially nothing about it beyond the fact that it is low carb and good for diabetics, which was all I needed to know. I started doing a bit of research and quickly learned that okra’s distinctive characteristic is its slimy texture, which was entirely unknown to me. One use for it I found was using it to thicken stews, specifically West African Peanut stews. Peanuts being one of my favorite foods, I knew what I had to do.. 

This recipe took quite a bit of refining –  after the first attempt, I wasn’t even sure I liked the texture the okra produced in the stew. However, with a good bit of refinement, I have come to truly love this recipe. One of the main adjustments I made was changing from using hot peppers in the stew to using Harissa paste as the main ingredient adding spice. I found it complimented the peanut flavor better and elevated other flavors.This is a fantastic meal prepping recipe as it is simple and yields a large amount of stew which also freezes well. I hope this recipe makes its way into your kitchen soon!

Active time 40 minutes

Cook time 40 minutes

Servings 6-8

Ingredients

• 300g yellow onions, diced
• 300g carrots, peeled and diced
• 650g sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 5 cloves garlic, pressed
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 8 cups water
• 1 small eggplant, diced
• ¾ cups smooth peanut butter
• 2 bay leaves
• 28oz can of diced tomatoes (quantity not specified)
• 1 tbsp harissa paste
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 200g okra, thinly sliced
• Chopped peanuts & chopped cilantro, for topping
• Neutral oil and salt

Directions

1. Heat a large dutch oven on medium heat. Once hot add in the yellow onions, carrots and sweet potatoes with a generous pinch of salt. Sauté for 5-6 minutes until onions are beginning to turn translucent. Add in the garlic and continue to sauté for another 3-4 minutes until fragrant. 
2. Add in the spices and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently until the spices are fragrant and toasted. Add in the water and scrape the bottom of the pot in case any of the spices stuck to the bottom. Add in the eggplant, peanut butter, bay leaves, canned tomatoes, harissa, apple cider vinegar and 1 ½ tsp of salt. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Once beginning to boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes with the lid agar. The eggplant and sweet potatoes should be fully cooked and easily pierced with a fork when complete.
3. After 30 minutes, add in the okra and stir. Continue to simmer for 5 minutes, this should thicken the stew. Taste and potentially adjust for salt level as required. 
4. Serve hot topped with cilantro and chopped peanuts, enjoy!