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
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
Recipe overview
What to know before you cook
Dovi is gentle comfort, but the peanut must cook through. Simmer until the sauce is creamy and no longer raw-tasting.
What the dish tastes like
Zimbabwean dovi, chicken stewed with peanut butter, tomatoes, onion, garlic, ginger, pepper, and pumpkin leaves or spinach.
When to cook it
Best for Family dinner, with a medium cooking level 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 verified 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.
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
How to cook it
Step-by-step method
Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.
6 steps
90 min total
medium
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.
Mixing 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.
Stir 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.
The 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.