Ghanaian groundnut chicken

Bring a touch of African sun into the place with this homely Ghanaian dish.

Serves 4

Ghanaian Groundnut Chicken

• 8 boneless chicken drumsticks or thighs- skin on if possible
• 2 medium onions – peeled and roughly chopped
• 3cm piece ginger root – finely grated
• 1 390g tin butter beans – rinsed and drained
• 1 400g tin chopped tomatoes in juice
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper – or to taste
• 250g smooth peanut butter (or equivalent weight of roasted unsalted peanuts ground to a paste)
• 250g okra – trimmed and thickly sliced
• Chopped fresh coriander leaves for garnish
• Salt

Method:

In a large pot lightly brown the chicken pieces and the onion over a medium heat. Add the ginger, cover with water and bring to a boil. Skim off any fat and discard. Mash half of the butter beans and add them to the chicken with the tomatoes and cayenne pepper. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

Put the peanut butter or peanut paste in a bowl and when the chicken is cooked add enough of the pan juices to the peanuts to make a soup-like consistency then add this to the chicken together with the remaining beans. Cook gently for 15 minutes. Add the okra and salt to taste. Cook for a further 15 minutes, adjust the seasoning and serve with rice and a generous garnish of chopped coriander leaves.

Tip: If I buy chicken pieces I generally buy thighs as I find they have more flavour and a more pleasing texture than chicken breast and less bone than drumsticks.