Last Updated on July 28, 2020 by Chef Mireille
Chicken Palaver
Ghanian Chicken Peanut Stew is full of protein and iron. This stew is as nutrient rich as it is delicious.
I used to run The NYC Cooking and Dining Group, a meetup group where every month we would meet at my house and celebrate the cuisine of a different country, by cooking many courses of foods from that country, under my leadership and guidance.
Once way back in 2010 we celebrated the cuisine of Ghana. It was the group’s first foray into African cuisine (excluding the Middle East influenced Moroccan cuisine). We cooked a diverse variety of foods, with each course being more interesting and delicious than the first. Everybody loved our foray into Ghanian Cuisine. This was our menu.
Ghanian Menu
- Kelewele (Sweet plantain marinated in onions, ginger, chile and then fried)
- Ghanian Salad – not the healthiest of courses but a hearty layered salad with everything but the kitchen sink (beans,salmon,tomatoes,cucumber,lettuce,vinegar marinated onions,potatoes,snow peas,corn,eggs,avocado) in a mayo-soy milk dressing
- Fish and Okra Soup
- Beef Suya – Ghana’s version of kebabs marinated with ginger, garlic, onion, chile and crushed peanuts
- Joloff Rice – Spicy tomato rice
- Palaver Chicken – cooked in a sauce of peanut butter and spinach
- Gari Foto – toasted cassava flour cooked with vegetables
- Roasted Fish and Vegetables
Ghanian restaurants are not exactly in abundance in western cities and oh what a shame, when I think of all the years we have been deprived of this cuisine, using delicious fresh foods and a variety of spices – particularly ginger and chile. I am providing you with the Palaver Chicken recipe. This recipe is present in many countries of North Africa, including Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Although we used chicken in this version, this is a popular sauce for any kind of meat – beef, lamb, etc. If we were enjoying this recipe in Africa, particularly in Ghana, the vegetable used would probably be taro leaves. Since this vegetables is not easily found in American supermarkets, spinach is usually substituted.
However, before we get to today’s nutrient rich recipe, let’s check out some other delicious delectables from the African continent.
African Recipes
- Caakiri – Couscous Pudding
- Harcha – Moroccan Skillet Scones
- Joloff Rice – Spicy Tomato Rice
- Asa Tibs – Ethiopian Fried Fish with freshly made Berbere Spice Mix
- Kelewele – Marinated Fried Plantain
- Kuku – Kenyan Chicken Mung Bean Stew
- Kenyan Potato Bhajia
- Nhopi – Zimbabwe Pumpkin Polenta
- Senegalese Tankora Black Eyed Pea Salad
- Sosu Kaani – Senegalese Hot Sauce
- Tanzania Coconut Black Eyed Pea Soup
Palaver Chicken – Ghanian Chicken Peanut Stew
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast fillets skinned and boned
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons palm oil or vegetable oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 4 tomatoes skinned and chopped
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1 bouillon cube
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 8 ounces frozen spinach defrosted and chopped
- 1 fresh chili seeded and chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breast fillets into thin slices. Place in a bowl and stir in the garlic and a little salt and pepper.
- Melt the butter in a large frying pan and fry the chicken over a medium heat, turning once or twice to brown evenly. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onion and tomatoes over a high heat for 5 minutes, until soft.
- Reduce the heat, add the peanut butter and 1 1/2 cups water and blend together well.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring all the time to prevent the peanut butter from burning. Add another cup of water, bouillon cube, thyme, spinach, chili, salt and pepper.
- Stir in the chicken slices and cook over a medium heat for about 10-15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Pour the chicken mixture into a warmed serving dish and served with boiled yams, rice or gari.
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I made the Palaver Chicken and it is very good – savory with lots of flavor
This dish sounds delicious! Very simple but so much flavors… thank you for introducing us to such interesting gravies…
sure and yes it is so flavorful
that is indeed a very detailed post about ghanian cuisine. lovely recipe …..that includes no major spice powders like our indian cuisines! well done!
just a combination of natural ingredients still provide so much flavor without masala
It must be nice to get together as a group to appreciate and enjoy the cuisine of a foreign country. Really nice idea.
it used to be a lot of work, but also a lot of fun
I am sure the dish must be awesome , a friend of mine is in Ghana and she keeps raving about the food there.
oh wow -must be great to experience the food culture in the country itself
That’s some flavoursome gravy Mir, and its always interesting to explore new cuisines..
you know me – gotta go exploring the world 🙂
Have tasted something similar at one of my friend’s place, and loved the taste of this dish. Wish this palaver chicken dish rite now to have with a bowl of rice.
yes over rice it makes a great meal
Hats off to your interest and enthusiasm in exploring different cuisines and their histories.
thank you – yes I love exploring the whole world 🙂
Love the whole menu you created for the meetup. The chicken sounds very interesting with all the spices and herbs.
thanks – this is a simple recipe yet so delicious
The dish looks scrumptuous ! Since we are vegetarian, I feel like making its veg-version and eating it.
sure – sub the chicken with paneer, soya chunks or even mushrooms for a veg version!
Heard about this dish first time. But looking like absolutely divine with rice. Great recipe share. sent to one of our family friend.
thanks – I hope she likes it
This is surely a treat to non veg lovers. Would love to make its veg version
yes its a great combination of flavors