Domoda

Ingredients

Stew

• 800 gbeef chuck, cut into 4 cm pieces
• 300 gpure groundnut paste (unsweetened peanut butter)
• 3 tbspgroundnut oil
• 2onions, chopped
• 4garlic cloves, crushed
• 4 tbsptomato puree
• 2tomatoes, grated
• 2stock cubes
• 1–2Scotch bonnet chillies, left whole
• 1 tspground black pepper
• 1.2 litreswater
• salt

Vegetables and souring

• 400 gpumpkin or sweet potato, in large chunks
• 300 gcassava, peeled and cut in chunks
• 1aubergine or 4 garden eggs, halved
• 1 tbsptamarind pulp, or the juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tspsugar (optional)

To serve

• 600 gplain white rice, steamed

Directions

1. Season the beef with salt and pepper and brown it in the oil in a heavy pot over high heat, in two batches, until each piece is well crusted.
2. Add the onions and garlic and cook 8–10 minutes until golden and sweet.
3. Stir in the tomato puree and fry 5 minutes until it darkens and the oil separates around the edges.
4. Slacken the groundnut paste with 400 ml warm water into a smooth cream, then stir it in along with the grated tomato, stock cubes, whole chillies and the remaining water. Never add the paste dry, or it seizes into lumps that will not disperse.
5. Bring to the barest simmer and cook uncovered, or half-covered if it spits, for 45 minutes, stirring the bottom of the pot every 10 minutes.
6. Add the pumpkin, cassava and aubergine and cook 20–25 minutes until they are tender and the beef pulls apart under a fork.
7. Stir in the tamarind or lemon juice, and the sugar if you use it. This sour note is what makes domoda domoda rather than a plain groundnut stew, and it should end up rich, tangy and hot all at once.
8. Cook a final 10 minutes until orange oil floats clear on the surface and the sauce is thick enough to sit up on rice. Serve poured over steamed rice, with the whole chillies on the side for those who want them.

Technique

• Domoda is the Gambian national dish and its signature is sourness: tamarind, lemon or sour tomato cutting the fat of the groundnuts.
• The orange oil rising to the surface is the doneness test. A groundnut stew that has not split its oil tastes raw and chalky however long it has been on the heat.
• Stir the base often. Groundnut paste scorches faster than any other stew base, and a burnt bottom flavours the whole pot beyond rescue.
• It is always served over plain white rice, never seasoned rice, because the sauce carries all the flavour.

Substitutions

• Use unsweetened groundnut paste from an African or Asian grocer, or a 100 percent peanut butter. Sweetened supermarket brands turn the stew cloying.
• Fish domoda is common in coastal villages and needs only 15 minutes in the pot; add the fish once the sauce has thickened.

Variations

• Chicken domoda, quicker and lighter, made by the same method with a jointed bird.
• A meat-free version with only pumpkin, sweet potato and okra is widely eaten during Ramadan.

History

The Mandinka peanut stew of the Gambia River, distinguished from Senegalese mafe by its sourness from tamarind or lime; groundnuts were the colony’s export crop.

Frequently asked questions

What is Domoda?

Domoda is a soup & stew from Gambia: tangy peanut stew of meat or fish with tomato over rice; national dish. The Mandinka peanut stew of the Gambia River, distinguished from Senegalese mafe by its sourness from tamarind or lime; groundnuts were the colony’s export crop.

How long does Domoda take to make?

Domoda takes 20 min of preparation and 1 hr 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Domoda?

Yes, within limits. Use unsweetened groundnut paste from an African or Asian grocer, or a 100 percent peanut butter. Sweetened supermarket brands turn the stew cloying. Fish domoda is common in coastal villages and needs only 15 minutes in the pot; add the fish once the sauce has thickened.

What is the most important thing to get right in Domoda?

Slacken the groundnut paste with 400 ml warm water into a smooth cream, then stir it in along with the grated tomato, stock cubes, whole chillies and the remaining water. Never add the paste dry, or it seizes into lumps that will not disperse.