Domoda

Season the beef chunks with salt and one crushed Maggi cube. Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat and brown the beef on all sides for six to eight minutes until a deep seared crust forms. Remove the meat and set aside.

In the same pot, saute the diced onions for five minutes until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add the diced tomatoes and tomato paste, cooking for eight minutes until the tomatoes break down into a thick, concentrated sauce.

Dissolve the peanut butter in three cups of warm water, whisking until completely smooth with no lumps. Pour this peanut mixture into the pot with the tomato base and stir well to combine into a uniform, creamy, orange-brown sauce.

Return the browned beef to the pot and add the remaining Maggi cube and whole scotch bonnet peppers. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for forty-five minutes, stirring every fifteen minutes to prevent the peanut sauce from sticking.

Add the cubed sweet potato and pumpkin to the simmering stew. Cook for an additional twenty minutes until the vegetables are completely tender and the sauce has thickened considerably. The natural starch from the sweet potato helps thicken the groundnut sauce further.

The finished domoda should have a thick, rich, creamy peanut sauce that coats the back of a spoon. The beef should be fork-tender and the vegetables soft. Remove the whole peppers, taste, and adjust seasoning with salt as needed.

Serve the domoda over steamed white rice, ladling the thick peanut stew generously over the mound of rice. This groundnut stew is the national dish of The Gambia and is considered the ultimate comfort food across West Africa.