Milk Street Recipe

Black-Eyed Pea and Sweet Potato Stew (Ndambe)

By Courtney Hill

40 minutes

Free

This recipe is free until September 7, 2022. Start your 14-day free trial to access every Milk Street recipe. Learn More.

Both sweet potatoes and black-eyed peas are staples of West African cooking. In this recipe for Senegalese ndambe (pronounced NAM-bay), they're simmered together to make a hearty vegetarian stew. Our version is based on a recipe from Pierre Thiam's “Yolele!” cookbook. Canned black-eyed peas keep this dish fast and simple.

6

Servings

Tip

Don't use neutral-flavored oil in place of the coconut oil. Coconut oil—particularly unrefined—infuses the stew with a sweet aroma while adding richness.

40 minutes

2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

8 medium garlic cloves, minced

2 Fresno chilies, stemmed and sliced into thin rings

3 14½-ounce cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

2 bay leaves

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes

1 pound plum tomatoes, cored and chopped

1 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus lemon wedges, to serve

Ingredients

2

tablespoons unrefined coconut oil
1

large yellow onion, finely chopped
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
8

medium garlic cloves, minced
2

Fresno chilies, stemmed and sliced into thin rings
3

14½-ounce cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
2

bay leaves
1

pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
1

pound plum tomatoes, cored and chopped
1

cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2

tablespoons lemon juice, plus lemon wedges, to serve

Black-Eyed Pea and Sweet Potato Stew (Ndambe)

Directions

01

In a large Dutch oven over medium, heat the coconut oil until shimmering. Add the onion, 1 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, then cook, stirring, until light golden brown and softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and chilies, then cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the black-eyed peas, bay leaves and 5 cups water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, then reduce to medium and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the flavors meld, about 15 minutes.
02

Stir in the sweet potatoes and 1 teaspoons salt. Cover, reduce to medium-low and cook until the potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Off heat, stir in the tomatoes, parsley and lemon juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with lemon wedges.

Tip: Don't use neutral-flavored oil in place of the coconut oil. Coconut oil—particularly unrefined—infuses the stew with a sweet aroma while adding richness.

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Simple, Bold Recipes

Black-Eyed Pea and Sweet Potato Stew (Ndambe)

Get Ready to Cook

6

Servings

40 minutes

Tip

Don't use neutral-flavored oil in place of the coconut oil. Coconut oil—particularly unrefined—infuses the stew with a sweet aroma while adding richness.

Ingredients

2

tablespoons unrefined coconut oil
1

large yellow onion, finely chopped
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
8

medium garlic cloves, minced
2

Fresno chilies, stemmed and sliced into thin rings
3

14½-ounce cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
2

bay leaves
1

pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
1

pound plum tomatoes, cored and chopped
1

cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2

tablespoons lemon juice, plus lemon wedges, to serve

Simmer the black eyed peas

tablespoons unrefined coconut oil

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

medium garlic cloves, minced

Fresno chilies, stemmed and sliced into thin rings

14½-ounce cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

In a large Dutch oven over medium, heat the coconut oil until shimmering. Add the onion, 1 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, then cook, stirring, until light golden brown and softened, 7 to 10 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and chilies, then cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the black-eyed peas, bay leaves and 5 cups water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, then reduce to medium and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the flavors meld, about 15 minutes.

Cook the sweet potatoes

pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes

pound plum tomatoes, cored and chopped

cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

tablespoons lemon juice, plus lemon wedges, to serve

Stir in the sweet potatoes and 1 teaspoons salt. Cover, reduce to medium-low and cook until the potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Off heat, stir in the tomatoes, parsley and lemon juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with lemon wedges.

Black-Eyed Pea and Sweet Potato Stew (Ndambe)

This recipe is free until September 7, 2022. Start your 14-day free trial to access every Milk Street recipe. Learn More.

6

40 minutes

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