Ugandan Peanut sauce is creamy, delicious and easy to make. It is great to drizzle over just about anything. I served it with over mashed sweet potato bowl and a quick chickpea-spinach sauté. A healthy and yummy meal in less than 30 minutes.
I love trying recipes from all around the world. Ingredient combinations, flavor profiles, spices used entice me to try a new cuisine. In that quest, here is a quick and easy Uganda recipe that I am sure you will love.
Ugandan cuisine is influenced by English, Arab, Asian and especially Indian cuisines. Main dishes usually center on a sauce or stew of groundnuts/ peanuts, beans or meat. Starch traditionally comes from Ugali (maize meal) in the north and east or Matoke (boiled and mashed green banana) in Central, or a Millet Ugali in the west.
Peanuts aka groundnuts are an important staple in Uganda. Traditionally roasted peanuts are ground in a stone grinder until smooth and creamy to make this g nut sauce. But store bought peanut butter is a great alternative and a huge time saver.
This peanut sauce is usually served plain or with matooke (boiled and mashed plantains). It is also great to serve with greens. Here I served the Ugandan peanut sauce is served over a sweet potato bowl and a quick chickpea-spinach sauté.
A very simple dish with just a few ingredient and they all work together beautifully to make a tasty and filling dish. This recipe is adapted from Vegetarian times magazine.
Ingredients
There are 3 components - groundnut sauce, mashed sweet potatoes and chickpea-spinach sauté.
For the gnut sauce, you need:
- smooth peanut butter
- vegetable stock, low-sodium preferred
- tomato paste
- garlic clove
- lemon juice
- salt & pepper
The other ingredients you need are:
- sweet potatoes
- onion
- lemon juice
- ground cumin
- turmeric
- cooked chickpeas
- spinach
- roasted peanuts
Instructions
First make the Ugandan Peanut Sauce: In a small saucepan, combine peanut butter, veggie stock, peanut sauce, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Whisk till the mixture is smooth.
Then place on low heat and cook for 2~3 minutes or until the mixture starts to simmer and thicken. Peanut sauce is ready. Set aside until ready to serve.
Make mashed sweet potatoes: Poke holes in sweet potatoes and place on a microwave safe plate. Cook for 7~10 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are very soft*. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Once cooled, scoop the flesh out of the sweet potato into a bowl. Mash with cumin, lemon juice, turmeric, salt and pepper.
For Spinach & Chickpeas: In the meantime, heat peanut oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the onions and saute until the onions are starting to brown around the edges, about 4~5 minutes.
Add the cooked chickpeas and cook for 1~2 minutes. Stir in spinach, lower the heat and cook for 3~5 minutes or until spinach is wilted.
To Serve - Make sweet potato bowl: Divide sweet potato mixture equally between the serving bowls. Top with chickpea-spinach mixture and cover with the peanut sauce. Garnish with peanuts and serve warm.
Tips
- Use crunchy peanut butter if that is what you have on hand.
- Sweet potatoes can also be boiled. Peel and chop into bite size pieces. Boil in water until very soft and tender. Drain and use as directed in the recipe.
- The peanut sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Drizzle it on grain bowls, salads or as a dipping sauce for veggies.
- All of the components can be made up to 2 days ahead of time. Store them in separate airtight containers and warm briefly before assembling.
Few more delicious International recipes to try
- Poi (banana pudding) from Western Samoa
- Mucver - Turkish zucchini fritters
- Swedish vegetarian meal
- Vegetarian Chimichanga
- Chipotle cream pasta with mushrooms
- Sri Lankan egg curry
- Greek style lemon rice with dill
I love hearing from you!! If you’ve tried this and liked it, then don't forget to let me know. Give a star rating and let me know in the comments below. Also tag me in your creations on Instagram @cooks_hideout. I love sharing photos when people make my recipes. You can use the hashtag #cookshideout too.
Ugandan Groundnut Sauce
Ingredients
Groundnut Special Sauce:
- ¼ cup Smooth Peanut butter
- 1 cup Low sodium vegetable stock
- 2 teaspoons Lemon juice
- 1½ tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 2 Garlic cloves, finely minced
- To taste Salt & pepper
For Mashed Sweet Potatoes:
- 3 Medium Sweet Potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 2 teaspoons Ground Cumin
- 2 teaspoons Lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
- To taste Salt & pepper
For Chickpea-Spinach Sauté:
- 1 tablespoon Peanut Oil
- 1 Medium Onion, chopped
- 1 lb. Fresh Spinach, roughly chopped
- 2 cups Cooked Chickpeas
- ¼ cup Roasted peanuts
- To taste Salt & pepper
Instructions
To make Ugandan GNut Sauce:
- In a small saucepan, combine peanut butter, veggie stock, peanut sauce, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Whisk till the mixture is smooth. Place on low heat and cook for 2~3 minutes or until the mixture starts to simmer and thicken.
- Peanut sauce is ready. Set aside until ready to serve.
For the Sweet Potatoes:
- Poke holes in sweet potatoes and place on a microwave safe plate. Cook for 7~10 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are very soft*. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- Once cooled, scoop the flesh out of the sweet potato into a bowl. Mash with cumin, lemon juice, turmeric, salt and pepper.
For Spinach & Chickpeas:
- In the meantime, heat peanut oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the onions and saute until the onions are starting to brown around the edges, about 4~5 minutes.
- Add the cooked chickpeas and cook for 1~2 minutes.
- Stir in spinach, lower the heat and cook for 3~5 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
To Serve:
- Ladle Sweet potato mixture into 2 bowls. Top with chickpea-spinach mixture and cover with the peanut sauce. Garnish with peanuts and serve warm.
Notes
- Use crunchy peanut butter if that is what you have on hand.
- Sweet potatoes can also be boiled. Peel and chop into bite size pieces. Boil in water until very soft and tender. Drain and use as directed in the recipe.
- The peanut sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Drizzle it on grain bowls, salads or as a dipping sauce for veggies.
- All of the components can be made up to 2 days ahead of time. Store them in separate airtight containers and warm briefly before assembling.
Srivalli
That's an interesting combination of ingredients Pavani..pictures are always so inviting!
Usha Rao
Spinach and chickpeas seems to be a nice combination and served with g-nut sauce looks delicious.
Niloufer Riyaz
I love peanut sauces. this looks delicous
Varadas Kitchen
The picture and name sounds so simple one would never guess it is made in three parts and assembled. Nicely done.
Priya Suresh
Wow, looks fabulous, last click is just inviting me to finish that healthy and filling meal.. Peanut sauce looks very delicious and catchy.
vaishali sabnani
I am gazing at the pics and the dish..love the color combination of the dish.it looks so pretty...the greens with those tiny little balls and then a contrasting sauce..it looks like an artists work. Trust me I am enjoying the dish a lot.
Harini-Jaya Rupanagudi
Love the color of the G-nut sauce!
Suma Gandlur
When I was searching for the recipes during this marathon and came across this peanut sauce and peanut soup (can't remember now from where), they sounded intriguing. Your's has a vibrant hue and probably works well with our Indian breakfasts too.
Archana Potdar
Looks yum. The pics are awesome. I am having a difficult time making up my mind drool over the pics or the recipe. Delicious choice.
PJ
The dish looks very vibrant and very tempting too.Love those ingredients 🙂
Global Tastes & Travels Inc.
peanuts are used so much in African cuisine - this sauce is my kind of sauce!!!
Global Tastes & Travels Inc.
peanuts are used so much in African cuisine - this sauce is my kind of sauce!!!
Manjula Bharath
omg mouthwatering peanut sauce and tempting me dear 🙂 Fabulous clicks again !!
Sreevalli E
Chickpeas with peanut sauce makes it deliciously good.
Sapana Behl
Sauce looks delicious and your pictures are amazing.