Dovi

Ingredients

Meat

• 1 kgchicken pieces on the bone
• or 600 g beef, in cubes

Peanut

• 250 gunsweetened peanut butter, or ground roasted peanuts

Base

• 2onions, chopped
• 4 clovesgarlic
• 4tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 3 tbspoil
• 1 tspground coriander
• 1stock cube
• salt and pepper

Greens

• 300 gpumpkin leaves, muboora, or spinach or kale
• optional but traditional

Also

• 600 mlstock or water
• 1chilli, optional

To serve

• with sadza, the Zimbabwean maize porridge

Directions

1. Add the liquid a ladle at a time, working out every lump before adding more. It should end up like thin cream before it goes anywhere near the stew.
2. Stir it regularly and scrape the base of the pot throughout. Season and brown the chicken pieces, then set them aside. Fry the onion in the same oil until soft and golden, which takes ten minutes.
3. Add the garlic, then the tomato paste, and fry it until it darkens. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook them down until the oil separates.
4. Cook the tomato base properly, since raw tomato tastes sharp against the peanut. Return the chicken, add the stock and simmer for twenty minutes.
5. Simmer for a further thirty to forty minutes, uncovered. Now the consistency it should reach. Add more stock to loosen it down. Strip the tough stems and the fibrous outer skin from the stalks before cooking.
6. Add the greens for the last ten to fifteen minutes. Add them late so they stay green and do not go drab and slippery.
7. Season firmly with salt, pepper and a stock cube. A chilli is added in some households and the dish is generally mild rather than hot. Serve it with sadza, which is pinched off and used to scoop the stew.

Technique

• Peanuts came from South America through Atlantic trade and were widely adopted.
• The peanut butter must be loosened with hot stock before it goes in the pot.
• It is properly cooked when the peanut oil separates and rises.

Substitutions

• Natural unsweetened peanut butter in place of freshly ground peanuts.
• Spinach or kale in place of pumpkin leaves.

Variations

• Muriwo une dovi, made with greens and no meat.
• Made with beef or goat.
• Made with more tomato, for a lighter stew.

History

Peanut butter stew of chicken or greens; groundnuts came from South America through Atlantic trade and became a Shona kitchen staple.

Frequently asked questions

What is Dovi?

Dovi is a soup & stew from Zimbabwe: peanut butter stew with chicken or vegetables. Peanut butter stew of chicken or greens; groundnuts came from South America through Atlantic trade and became a Shona kitchen staple.

How long does Dovi take to make?

Dovi takes 25 min of preparation and 1 hr of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Dovi?

Yes, within limits. Natural unsweetened peanut butter in place of freshly ground peanuts. Spinach or kale in place of pumpkin leaves.

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

Add the greens for the last ten to fifteen minutes. Add them late so they stay green and do not go drab and slippery.