Zimbabwe | Stew

Dovi

Zimbabwean dovi, chicken stewed with peanut butter, tomatoes, onion, garlic, ginger, pepper, and pumpkin leaves or spinach.

Country
Zimbabwe
Region
Southern Africa
Time
90 min
Serves
6
Level
medium
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Recipe overview

What to know before you cook

Use this overview to check the occasion, serving ideas, regional context, and cooking commitment before you begin.

When to cook it

Best for Family dinner. Plan on a medium cook and about 90 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Sadza, rice, muriwo, roasted vegetables, or fresh tomato salad

Regional lane

Zimbabwe national table. A structured Zimbabwe dish in the AfroKitchen archive.

Chef watch-outs
  • Stopping the base before the pepper, onion, or spice edge has mellowed.
  • Thinning the pot before the body of the soup or stew has developed.
  • Rushing the base before the raw edge has cooked out.
How you know it is ready
  • The sauce should coat the spoon and taste rounded, not watery or raw.
  • The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
  • Oil, sauce, broth, or steam should look settled and deliberate.
Recipe photos

See the dish before you cook

Each recipe supports one main image and up to four extra prep, serving, or step photos when they are available.

Dovi recipe from Zimbabwe
Dovi finished dish
Chef board

Build the table around Dovi

Sadza, rice, muriwo, roasted vegetables, or fresh tomato salad

Best route from here

Zimbabwe national table

Collections to keep cooking
Swallow and Soup Table
Servings 6

Scale the dish before you shop, then use the checklist while you cook.

How to cook it

Step-by-step method

Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.

Back to Zimbabwe
6 steps 25 min prep 65 min cook 90 min total medium
1
Brown the chicken
Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Season chicken pieces with salt and brown on all sides until golden. Remove and set aside.
Brown chicken 08:00
2
Cook onions and tomatoes
In the same pot, fry the onions until softened. Add the tomatoes and cook until they break down into a thick sauce, about 8 minutes.
Cook base 08:00
3
Dissolve the peanut butter
Mix the peanut butter with the water until smooth, ensuring there are no lumps. Pour this mixture into the pot with the tomato sauce and stir well.
Kitchen noteMixing the peanut butter with water separately first prevents clumping in the stew.
4
Simmer with chicken
Return the chicken to the pot. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and creamy.
Kitchen noteStir occasionally to prevent the peanut butter from sticking to the bottom.
Simmer stew 40:00
5
Add greens
If using, add the pumpkin leaves or spinach in the last 10 minutes of cooking. Stir them into the stew and cook until wilted.
Cook greens 10:00
6
Serve
Adjust seasoning with salt. Serve hot with sadza, scooping up the thick peanut gravy with each bite.
Kitchen noteThe stew thickens as it cools — add a splash of water when reheating leftovers.

Every household has small variations. Start here, then adjust seasoning, heat, and serving sides to your kitchen.

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Cook around Dovi

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Sadza neNyama recipe from Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Main dish Sadza neNyama Zimbabwean sadza ne nyama, thick maize sadza served with slow-cooked beef, tomato, onion, and garlic gravy. Time105 min ServingsServes 6 DifficultyMedium DietGluten Free RegionSouthern Africa Open recipe Zimbabwe Snack Madora Zimbabwean madora, dried mopane worms soaked, fried crisp, and cooked with onion, tomato, garlic, chile, and optional peanuts. Time50 min ServingsServes 4 DifficultyEasy DietGluten Free RegionEast Africa Open recipe Zimbabwe Main dish Sadza with Muriwo Zimbabwean sadza with muriwo, thick maize sadza served with leafy greens cooked in onion, tomato, garlic, and oil. Time50 min ServingsServes 4 DifficultyEasy DietVegan RegionEast Africa Open recipe Zimbabwe Side Muriwo Unedovi Zimbabwean leafy greens cooked with tomato, onion, and peanut butter into a creamy relish. Time35 min ServingsServes 4 DifficultyEasy DietVegan RegionSouthern Africa Open recipe
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