Granat Sup (Sierra Leonean Groundnut Soup)

Ingredients

• 600g stewing beef chuck (or chicken, or cowfoot), cubed
• 1/2 cup smooth unsweetened peanut butter (groundnut paste)
• 1/3 cup red palm oil
• 2 medium onions (1 for seasoning meat, 1 chopped)
• 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped, OR 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1–3 scotch bonnet peppers, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced (optional)
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 Maggi cube, salt to taste
• 600–750ml water
• White rice, to serve

Method

1. 1

   Season the meat with salt, Maggi, thyme, black pepper and a few onion slices. Cover with about 500ml water and parboil 20–30 minutes until just tender. Keep the seasoned cooking liquid.

2. 2

   Heat the palm oil in a pot. Sauté the remaining chopped onion and scotch bonnet (and garlic, if using) until soft and translucent.

3. 3

   Stir in the tomatoes or tomato paste and cook 5–10 minutes until the raw smell is gone and the colour deepens. Sierra Leonean granat sup is not a tomato-heavy stew — keep it modest.

4. 4

   Return the meat with its broth, top up with a little extra water, and simmer 10–15 minutes.

5. 5

   Whisk peanut butter with 150ml warm water to a smooth pouring consistency, then stir into the pot. Simmer on medium-low 15–20 minutes, stirring often, until you can clearly smell the cooked peanut aroma and red palm oil floats on the surface.

6. 6

   Taste, adjust salt and Maggi, and serve hot over fluffy white rice.