This is one of the best curry recipes I've ever made. It hails from Camaroon, Africa. The peanut butter gives the sauce a certain mellowness. The original recipe calls for lamb, but you can substitute beef, or even make a vegetarian version (below).

Camaroon Curry
Serves 8

1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon oil
2 teaspoons curry powder (or more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
3 small hot dried red chiles, broken in half
2 pounds boneless lamb, cut in 1-1/2" cubes
1 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes
1 potato, peeled and diced
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
1/4 cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons peanut butter
4 scallions, minced (garnish)
1 banana, sliced (garnish)
1 nectarine or mango, diced (garnish)
2 jalapeño chiles, chopped (garnish)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts (garnish)
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (garnish)

In a Dutch oven or other large pot, sauté onion and garlic in oil until soft. Sprinkle in curry powder, cumin, and red chiles; sauté 1 minute.

Add lamb and sauté 2 minutes, stirring to coat with spices. Add tomatoes, potato, sweet potato, and raisins and bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, 1-1/2 hours, until lamb is tender.

Stir in peanut butter.

Arrange remaining ingredients as condiments in separate piles on a platter. Serve stew with condiments and rice.

For Vegetarian Curry, omit meat. Increase number of potatoes and sweet potatoes to 3 each. Add 1 diced eggplant. Cook 20 minutes, or just until vegetables are tender.