Coffee Peanut Curried Potatoes and Peas Recipe

    In the West, when we cook with coffee, it's most often used as a rub for meat or a flavoring in desserts and sweets. In Africa, you're as likely to find coffee used as we'd use broth. In this recipe, curried potatoes and peas take on a complex, robust flavor from the combination of strong coffee and creamy peanut butter.   Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 25 minutes Yield: Serves 6   Ingredients    

• 3 cups diced potatoes, parboiled
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 cup firm tofu, cubed
• 2-4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tsp minced fresh ginger
• 1 tsp cardamom
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup green peas
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup strong hot coffee
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp sesame seeds

  Cooking Directions  

1. In a covered bowl, mix together the potatoes, onions, tofu, garlic, ginger, cardamom, cumin and turmeric. Turn the bowl once or twice to coat all the ingredients with the spices.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over a low flame. When the oil is hot enough to brown a cube of bread, add the potato, tofu and onion mixture. Allow it to cook, stirring just often enough to keep from burning, until the onions are soft.
3. Meanwhile, stir together the coffee and peanut butter until the mixture is smooth and thick, about the texture of gravy.
4. Add the peas to the saute pan, stirring them in to heat them evenly. Cover the pan and cook over low heat until the peas are tender, but still crisp and green.
5. Pour the coffee and peanut sauce over the curried vegetables and stir to coat the potatoes, peas and onions. Cook for five minutes over low heat to meld the flavors. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Garnish with sesame seeds and green scallion and serve hot.