G-Nut Special Sauce and Sweet Potatoes
In Uganda, peanuts (or g-nuts, short for groundnuts) are featured in many meals, including this sweet potato dish with a luxuriously creamy sauce. Lauren Baker based her g-nut sauce on a delicious but laborious recipe from a Ugandan friend. His sauce involved grinding peanuts, then boiling green peppers and tomatoes…
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In Uganda, peanuts (or g-nuts, short for groundnuts) are featured in many meals, including this sweet potato dish with a luxuriously creamy sauce. Lauren Baker based her g-nut sauce on a delicious but laborious recipe from a Ugandan friend. His sauce involved grinding peanuts, then boiling green peppers and tomatoes into a pulp with the nuts, she says. She experimented after returning to the US and gradually adapted the recipe into this time-saving version that gets its flavor from tomato paste and peanut butter. Honorable Mention, 2006 recipe contest.
Ingredients
G-nut special sauce
- 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 1/2 Tbs. smooth peanut butter
- 2 tsp. tomato paste
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
Sweet potatoes
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- 2 tsp. peanut oil
- 1 medium onion, minced (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
- 1 5-oz. pkg. fresh spinach
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. turmeric
- 1/4 cup roasted, salted peanuts
Preparation
To make G-Nut Special Sauce: Combine broth, peanut butter, tomato paste, lemon juice and garlic in small pan, and simmer over low heat 1 to 2 minutes.
Poke holes all over sweet potatoes with fork. Microwave on high 7 to 10 minutes, or until soft; let cool in microwave.
Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion 4 minutes, or until beginning to brown. Add chickpeas, and sauté 2 minutes more. Stir in spinach, reduce heat to low, and simmer 3 to 5 minutes, or until spinach is wilted.
Scoop sweet potato flesh into bowl, and mash with cumin, lemon juice, salt and turmeric.
Ladle sweet potato mixture into two bowls. Top with chickpea-spinach mixture, and cover with G-Nut Special Sauce. Garnish with peanuts, and serve warm.
Nutrition Information
- Calories 475
- Carbohydrate Content 60 g
- Cholesterol Content 0 mg
- Fat Content 19 g
- Fiber Content 14 g
- Protein Content 16 g
- Saturated Fat Content 3 g
- Sodium Content 804 mg
- Sugar Content 18 g