Sauce Arachide

Name: Sauce Arachide
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Togolese
Ingredients: 200g natural peanut butter or ground roasted peanuts; 4 large tomatoes, blended; 1 large onion, diced; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 scotch bonnet pepper; 200g chicken or smoked fish; 2 cups water or stock; Salt to taste

Sauce Arachide (sohs ah-rah-SHEED)

Groundnut Sauce

⏱ Prep Time 40 min

📈 Difficulty Easy

👥 Servings

🔥 Calories 446 kcal

Rich, creamy peanut sauce simmered with tomatoes, onions, and spices, a versatile Togolese sauce served over rice, yam, or fufu.

Nutrition & Info

Protein 16.0g

Carbs 28.0g

Fat 30.0g

Protein Carbs Fat

Dietary

gluten-free

Allergen Warnings

⚠ peanuts

Equipment Needed

large pot blender wooden spoon

Presentation Guide

Vessel: deep bowl over rice

Garnishes: crushed peanuts

Accompaniments: rice, fufu, yam

Ingredients

200g natural peanut butter or ground roasted peanuts
4 large tomatoes, blended
1 large onion, diced
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 scotch bonnet pepper
200g chicken or smoked fish
2 cups water or stock
Salt to taste

Instructions

1
Heat oil in a large pot, sauté onion and garlic 4 minutes until soft.
2
Add blended tomatoes and pepper, cook 10 minutes until reduced.
3
Stir in peanut butter and water, mix until smooth and well combined.
4
Add chicken or fish, bring to a simmer.
5
Cook on low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick and rich.
6
Serve over rice, yam pilée, or fufu.

💡

Did You Know?

Peanut sauce is so central to Togolese cuisine that children often learn to make it before any other dish.

Chef's Notes

Equipment Tips

large pot
blender
wooden spoon

Garnishing

crushed peanuts

Accompaniments

rice, fufu, yam

The Story Behind Sauce Arachide

Groundnut (peanut) sauce is one of the pillars of Togolese cuisine and West African cooking broadly. Peanuts arrived in West Africa from South America via Portuguese traders in the 16th century and were so enthusiastically adopted that they became integral to the region's food identity within generations. In Togo, sauce arachide is the great equalizer — served in the humblest homes and the finest restaurants alike. The sauce's richness and protein content make it a nutritional cornerstone, particularly important in regions where meat is scarce or expensive.

🕐 Traditionally enjoyed lunch, dinner 📜 Origins: Pre-colonial

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