Domoda names a family of peanut-based stews found across Senegal and neighboring Gambia, in which meat is slowly simmered in a thick sauce built from ground peanuts, tomatoes and onions. It belongs to the wider group of West African groundnut stews, related to the sauces known elsewhere as mafé or maafe, all sharing the same principle of thickening a braise with peanut butter or crushed peanuts.
The dish is reported as everyday home cooking in Senegalese households, prepared for family lunches and often served on weekends when a whole pot can simmer for hours on a low flame. It travels well between kitchens, and cooks adjust the balance of chili, vegetables and peanut according to what is on hand and to individual taste.
Preparation starts with browning cubed beef or lamb in oil, then softening onions and garlic before stirring in crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Peanut butter, loosened with warm water, is folded into the pot along with stock and a whole chili left intact for gentle heat. The stew is left to simmer slowly, and root vegetables such as sweet potato and carrot are added partway through so they hold their shape, with cabbage going in last.
What marks this Senegalese version is the particular mix of vegetables used, the amount of oil left to rise to the surface, and the choice to leave the chili whole rather than crushed, so diners can control the heat themselves. Other households and other countries prepare their own versions of this same peanut-stew family, each with its own balance of ingredients.
Preparation
1
Brown the beef cubes in oil in a heavy pot over high heat.
2
Add the chopped onions and garlic, and cook until softened.
3
Stir in the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste, and cook for 5 minutes.
4
Dilute the peanut butter with a little warm water and add to the pot.
5
Pour in the stock, add the whole chili, and season with salt.
6
Cover and simmer gently for about an hour, stirring occasionally.
7
Add the sweet potato and carrots, and cook for 20 minutes.
8
Add the cabbage and cook until all vegetables are tender.
9
Remove the whole chili, adjust the seasoning, and skim off excess oil.
