Mafé
Mauritanian Peanut Meat Stew
Peanut butter-based sauces and stews are popular throughout west and central Africa and the Caribbean. Throughout the years, I've made versions from Congo, the Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Gabon, Benin, Ivory Coast, Chad, Equatorial Guinea and Burkina Faso, as well as Curacao (my favorite). It had been a while since I last cooked one, however, and mafé is such a popular dish in Mauritania, that I had to make it.
Mafé itself is said to be of Senegalese origin - the dish's name is in Wolof. The French ruled over both Senegal and Mauritania during the 19th and 20th century, and many Senegalese moved north to Mauritania during colonial times. The recipe is pretty similar to those eaten in other nearby countries.
In all, I found it to be a tasty, satisfying dish, though not a particularly stellar one. It wouldn't serve it to guests, but we enjoyed eating it well enough. In Mauritania, a country that was 90% nomadic until recent times, this dish was originally made with lamb, but beef is now also common. I chose to make it with beef chuck as I'd plan to use lamb in a different Mauritanian dish. The original recipe called for fresh tomatoes, but I used canned ones for ease. I actually think that in this case, fresh tomatoes would have been a better choice.
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Mauritanian Peanut Meat Stew
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 lbs, boneless beef chuck or lamb shoulder, cubed
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2 tomatoes, chopped or 1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 1 Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper (optional)
- 2 cups vegetable or meat broth
- 1 cup natural peanut butter
- parsley or cilantro, chopped, for garnish
Directions
In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Add the beef and brown on all sides. Stir in the tomato paste, ground cumin and coriander. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, sweet potato, bell pepper and Scotch bonnet pepper, if using. Stir well.
Add the broth, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
In a separate bowl, mix the peanut butter with a ladle of broth. Stir this mixture into the pot, mixing until it incorporates. Cover and cook for 20 more minutes.
Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
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Adapted from a recipe at The Afrikan Store
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