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Zimbabwean

Huku ne dovi

Non-vegetarian

Chicken stewed with onion, tomato and green pepper in a thick, savoury peanut butter sauce. A beloved Zimbabwean family dish.

Huku ne dovi is a Zimbabwean stew, ready in about 1 hour 10 minutes and made with chicken pieces, skin-on and peanut butter. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
55 min
Total
1 h 10 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
809

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Season the chicken with salt and pepper (opens in a new tab) and brown it in the oil in a heavy pot. Set aside.

    Food safety: Wash hands and surfaces after handling raw chicken.

  2. Step 2

    Fry the onion (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab) and pepper (opens in a new tab) until soft, add the tomatoes (opens in a new tab) and cook until pulpy.

    • 10 min
    • medium heat
    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Return the chicken, add the stock, cover and simmer until nearly tender.

    • 25 min
    • low heat

  4. Step 4

    Loosen the peanut butter (opens in a new tab) with a ladle of the hot liquid, stir it in and simmer uncovered, stirring so it does not catch, until thick. Stir in the greens to wilt.

    • 10 min
    • low heat

    Food safety: Chicken must reach 74 °C in the thickest part.

About this dish

Origin
Zimbabwe · Commonly attributedPeanut stews are common across Africa; dovi is the Shona name for peanut butter.More food from Zimbabwe
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Stews & braises · Main courses
Cooking method
Stewed
Taste
nutty, rich, savoury
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-protein
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Freezer-friendly
Cook more with
Chicken pieces, skin-on · Peanut butter · Onion · Garlic · Green bell pepper · Tomato
Techniques
Simmering · Stewing

Allergens

  • Contains: Peanutsfrom peanut butter
  • May contain: Celeryfrom chicken stock

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

809 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 542 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 26%
  • Carbohydrate 10%
  • Fat 64%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy809 kcal149 kcal
Protein52.9 g9.8 g
Carbohydrate21.4 g4 g
Net carbohydrate17.3 g3.2 g
Sugars10.2 g1.9 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre4.2 g0.8 g
Fat57.6 g10.6 g
Saturated fat13.7 g2.5 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol172 mg32 mg
Sodium896 mg166 mg
Salt equivalent2.2 g0.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
1060 mg
Calcium
74 mg
Iron
3.3 mg
Magnesium
119 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
137 µg
Vitamin C
45 mg
Vitamin D
0.5 µg
Vitamin B12
0.7 µg
Folate (DFE)
72 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: spinach.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Peanut sauces catch easily: stir from the bottom and keep the heat low.

Common mistakes

  • Adding the peanut butter too early — it catches during the long simmer; stir it in for the last 10 minutes.

Serve with

  • Serve with sadza or rice.

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days in the fridge or 3 months frozen.

Reheating

  • Reheat gently with a splash of water.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 4

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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