Traditional Tastes | Zimbabwean Dovi Recipe

Dovi, or Zimbabwean peanut stew, is an easy but delicious recipe to prepare. Zimbabwean cuisine uses peanuts quite heavily, though interestingly enough it is not an indigenous crop to the area. In fact, the peanut is a fairly recent introduction into the lands thanks to trading with Europe. Around the 16th century the Portuguese introduced the region to the peanut, which has since become a central feature in most of modern-day Zimbabwean cuisine. Though many of the ingredients used in dovi are imported ingredients that came into the region after the 'Age of Discovery', dovi has become a staple in many Zimbabwean households over time. When eating your dovi, one of the most common accompaniments might be some sadza, which is a type of maize meal which can be easily eaten with the hands, as is traditional. We've slightly adapted this incredible recipe by Arousing Appetites as it's super simple to make but tastes amazing and complex. So if you want to make this quick, easy and vegan-friendly recipe tonight, keep on reading. 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons of hot chilli sauce or paste
• 2 red chili peppers, sliced thinly
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1 7oz can of tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 1 cup okra, whole
• 2 cups of spinach
• Salt and pepper to taste

 

Image via Arousing Appetites 

 

Instructions

1. Put a large pot on a medium high heat and add your olive oil
2. Once the oil is hot, add your onion and garlic. Fry for 3 minutes or until the onions become translucent
3. Add 1 cup of vegetable stock, chilli paste and peanut butter. Use a whisk to stir in the peanut butter until is has fully incorporated with the liquid
4. Add the remaining vegetable stock, tomato paste, cayenne pepper and carrots. Reduce the head to medium-low and cover the pot to simmer for around 10 minutes
5. Add okra and recover the pot for another 8 minutes
6. Finally, add your spinach, mix it in and allow it to wilt down for around 2 minutes
7. Serve and enjoy! 

 

If you liked this recipe, why not try cooking up a traditional Kenyan Maharagwe using our previous Traditional tastes recipe here, or our Indian Gujarati Dal here.