NAVAJO STEW

Navajo Stew image

Yield serves 4

Number Of Ingredients 14

2 medium sweet potatoes
2 red or green bell peppers
1 large onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 15-ounce can of tomatoes
1 tablespoon canned chipotles in adobo sauce (see page 286)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 15-ounce can of butter beans or black beans, drained
Flatbread (tortillas, lavash, or pita)
Plain yogurt, sour cream, or Cilantro Yogurt Sauce (page 232)

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 450°. Lightly oil a baking sheet.
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Stem and seed the peppers and cut into 1-inch pieces. Peel the onion and cut it stem end to root end into thin wedges. In a bowl, toss the vegetables with the garlic, oil, cumin, salt, and pepper. Spread on the prepared baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 10 minutes. Stir and continue to roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender but not mushy.
While the vegetables roast, purée the tomatoes, chipotles, and cilantro in a blender until smooth. Set aside. When the vegetables are tender, put them into a 2- to 3-quart baking dish, stir in the tomato-cilantro sauce and the beans, and return to the oven until hot, about 10 minutes.
A few minutes before serving, warm the bread in the oven. Serve the stew in bowls topped with yogurt or sour cream, with warm flatbread on the side.
Ingredient Notes
You can substitute 1 tablespoon of Cumin Salt (page 241) for the cumin and salt in the recipe. You may need to add more salt to taste.
Serving & menu ideas
This is a filling stew, but Corn on the Cob (page 188) makes a wonderful side dish, and if you've still got room for dessert, consider Warm Plums with Mascarpone (page 262).