Caribbean and African Cooking: Shrimp Palava

There are many different ways to cook Palava. This is made from peanuts, instead of egusi, in a Sierra Leone style.

Serves 4
2 tbsp vegetable oil or palm oil
1 medium onion, finely
chopped 7 oz can of tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp natural peanut
butter or ground peanuts 2 1/2 cups water
sprig of thyme or 1/2
tsp dried thyme chilli pepper and salt, to taste 1 lb spinach, fresh or
frozen and defrosted 1 small piece of smoked fish for
flavor (optional) 1 lb shrimps, fresh or
frozen and defrosted


Put the oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. When hot add the onions and tomatoes. Cook on a high heat for 5 minutes, stirring. Then reduce heat to moderate and add peanut butter, creaming well into sauce with half of the water. Stir well and allow to cook, bubbling gently for 8-10 minutes; stir to prevent burning. Add the rest of the water, thyme, pepper, and salt. Wash and finely chop the fresh spinach, stir into the sauce and allow to cook on moderate heat until the sauce is thick (approximately 20 minutes). Add smoked fish and drained shrimps, stir and cook for 10 minutes longer. Serve with boiled West Indian yams, rice or ground rice.