Mali | Ivory Coast | Senegal | Meats | Beef | Chicken | Peanuts | Stewing

Mafé

(West African meat in peanut sauce)

Servings: 6 - 8


INGREDIENTS PREP AMOUNT
Oil 2 Tbsp
Onion minced 1 each
Garlic minced 3 - 6 cloves
Ginger (opt.) minced 1 Tbsp
Beef, stewing chopped into chunks 2 lbs
 
Tomato paste 2 Tbsp
Tomatoes peeled, seeded, diced 2 cups
Salt & pepper to taste
 
Water or stock 1 - 2 cups
Peanut butter, natural unsalted 1 cup

METHOD

Basic Steps:  Sauté → Simmer
  1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add the onions and sauté till translucent. Add garlic and ginger and sauté 1-2 more minutes.
  2. Add the beef and sauté till lightly browned.
  3. Add the tomato paste and stir in for about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Season. Simmer 10-15 minutes to reduce the tomatoes somewhat.
  4. Add enough water or stock to loosen the dish up and simmer another 10 minutes.
  5. Stir in the peanut butter and simmer another 40 minutes or so until the beef is tender and oil rises to the surface of the dish.
  6. Adjust seasoning and serve with rice or couscous.

VARIATIONS

  • Use a whole chicken, cut up, instead of beef. Mutton or goat can also be used.
  • When you add the water or stock, add some vegetables such as cabbage, yams, squash, okra, eggplant, potatoes, peppers or carrots if you like.
  • Some recipes call for adding the peanut butter right after the tomato paste and before the chopped tomatoes.

NOTES

  • This dish is popular in Western Africa, particularly in Senegal, Gambia, Mali and the Ivory Coast.
  • There are various spellings, including mafe, maffé, maffe, or Maafe.  The dish also goes by the names sauce d'arachide, tigadèguèna or tigadene.