Baby and toddler recipes
🥜 West African groundnut and chickpea stew
A rich, mellow West African-inspired groundnut stew of chickpeas, sweet potato and spinach in a peanut and tomato sauce. It brings iron, protein and a gentle way to offer peanut.
Makes 4 baby portions plus 2 adult portions
Ingredients
- 1 x 400g tin Chickpeas (no added salt, drained and rinsed)
- 1 large Sweet potato (peeled and diced)
- 2 handfuls Spinach
- 2 tbsp Peanut butter (smooth, no added salt or sugar)
- 1 x 400g tin chopped Tomato (no added salt)
- 1 Onion (chopped)
- 2 cloves Garlic (crushed)
- 1 tsp grated Ginger
- 1/2 tsp sweet Paprika
- 1 tbsp Rapeseed oil
- 300ml Water
- to serve Brown rice
Method
- Soften the onion in the oil for 8 minutes, then add the garlic, ginger and paprika for a minute.
- Add the tomatoes, sweet potato and water and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the peanut butter until smooth.
- Add the chickpeas and simmer for 10 minutes until the sweet potato is very soft.
- Stir in the spinach until wilted.
- Mash baby's portion well.
Serving it to your baby
At 7 months mash thoroughly so chickpeas are broken down. From 9 months squash each chickpea and serve with soft rice or sweet potato fingers. Make sure the sauce is not too thick and sticky.
For the rest of the family
Season adult portions with salt and chopped scotch bonnet, and top with chopped roasted peanuts for grown-ups only.
Storing and reheating
Cool quickly (within an hour), then keep covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Freeze in small portions for up to 3 months and defrost overnight in the fridge. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through, stir, then let it cool before serving. Never reheat more than once. Freeze without rice. Rice needs extra care: cool within an hour, keep in the fridge for no more than 1 day, and reheat only once until steaming hot.
Weaning with OBubba
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Questions parents ask
Is groundnut stew suitable for babies?
Yes, made without salt, stock cubes or chilli. It is a creamy, iron-rich way to keep peanut in baby's diet.
Should I worry about peanut allergy?
Introducing peanut early and keeping it in the diet is now recommended. If baby has severe eczema or another food allergy, talk to your GP before introducing it.
OBubba gives general information based on UK guidance. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose anything. Every baby is different. If your baby has a known allergy, severe eczema or a medical condition, speak to your doctor or health visitor before starting solids. Learn baby first aid, and in an emergency call your local emergency number (999 in the UK).