Spicy African Sweet Potato Stew

Recipe From The Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook, Robin Robertson
Spicy African Sweet Potato Stew

Photo: Alanna Wiggins

Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 small red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 lbs sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 hot chiles, seeded and chopped
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes with their juices
1/2 tsp light brown sugar
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground allspice
2 c vegetable stock or water
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.5 c dark red kidney beans or one 15-oz can, drained and rinsed
Directions
  1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, sweet potatoes, and chiles and cook, stirring until the veggies soften, about 10 minutes.
  2. Add the tomatoes, brown sugar, chili powder, allspice, stock and salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the veggies are tender, about 20 minutes.
  3. Stir in the kidney beans and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes longer. Taste to adjust the seasonings.

For a thicker stew, you can puree up to 2 cups of the stew in a blender or food processor, then stir in the puree back into the stew and allow it to heat through before serving.