Sweet Potato and Black-Eyed Pea Stew

Name: Sweet Potato and Black-Eyed Pea Stew
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6 Servings
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons coconut oil, preferably unrefined; 1 large yellow onion, chopped; Kosher salt and ground black pepper; 4 medium garlic cloves, minced; 1-2 Fresno OR jalapeño chilies, stemmed and sliced into thin rings; 15 1/2 ounce can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained; 1 bay leaf; 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes; 1 pound ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped; 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley; 1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus lemon wedges, to serve

Adapted by Elizabeth Mindreau

6 Servings

45 minutes

Ndambe (pronounced NAM-bay), a stew of black-eyed peas, tomatoes and onion, is found throughout Senegal, often with bits of lamb or beef added. We speed cooking time by using canned black-eyed peas in place of dried, making it an option for a weeknight dinner. Serve with rice or fonio, or do as they do in Senegal—mashed slightly and spread over a split baguette.

6

Servings

Tip

Don't use neutral-flavored oil in place of the coconut oil. Coconut oil, particularly unrefined coconut oil, infuses the stew with a sweet aroma and distinctive flavor.

45 minutes

Ingredients

2

tablespoons coconut oil, preferably unrefined
1

large yellow onion, chopped

Directions

01

In a large pot over medium, heat the coconut oil until shimmering. Add the onion and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper, then cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and light golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and chilies, then cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the black-eyed peas, bay leaf and 4 cups water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, then reduce to medium and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the flavors meld, about 15 minutes.

Reviews

Becky W.

February 24, 2025

Incredible

How in the world did these simple ingredients combine to make something so flavorful? I even went back and read over the recipe after I made it, thinking there was something more to it than I remembered. Nope. It was just intrinsically tasty and even yummier the next day. For lunch today, I added crumbled smoked tofu, and I felt like I won.

Cindy B.

January 1, 2023

Family requests this dish

I use this recipe every year for our traditional New Year’s feast, and always get compliments.

Renee H.

Is this recipe correct? I've made it a few times and I thought it was 3 cans of black-eyed peas? Also, removed the plum (roma) tomatoes.

Lynn C.

Hi Renee -

This version of stew was included in our Milk Street Vegetables book so it calls for a smaller amount of beans to highlight the vegetables and we used a more generic description for the tomatoes. The other version can be found here - https://www.177milkstreet.com/recipes/black-eyed-pea-and-sweet-potato-stew-ndambe.

Best,
The Milk Street Team

Sharon S.

Made a few additions to this stew which we thought was good but needed more kick. Used chicken broth instead of water, added cilantro at the end and also cooked some millet (the fornio recommended is a type of millet) and added it at the end, which helped thicken the broth so it was more stew-like. A healthy way to begin 2022!

Sweet Potato and Black-Eyed Pea Stew

6

45 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

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