In Uganda, the words 'groundnut' and 'peanut' mean the same thing - the same little nut that grows underground. The plant flowers above the soil, and then strangely the stems push downwards and the seed pods grow under the earth. Farmers have to dig the plants up to harvest them.
To make the sauce, the groundnuts are first roasted until they smell wonderful. Then they are ground into a smooth, oily paste. The cook fries onions, garlic and tomato, then stirs in the paste with water until the whole pot turns into a thick, creamy stew. Some cooks add green leaves like spinach or pumpkin leaves.
Groundnut sauce is famous across many African countries - similar versions are eaten in West Africa, Central Africa and East Africa. Every region has its own twist. Some add chillies. Some add smoked fish. Ugandan cooks often make it simple and gentle, perfect for pouring over matoke.
Groundnuts grow well in Uganda's warm, rainy climate. Many families grow their own at home. Children sometimes get to help dig up the plants and pull off the pods. Then a few are kept to roast as a snack, a few are saved to plant next year, and the rest go into stews like this one.