West African Peanut Stew • Maafe
David and I are definitely carnivores, but, once in a while, it’s nice to take a break from the meat. Salad 🥗 is probably the most obvious choice, but there are also other amazing dishes such as Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, Saag Aloo or Aloo Gobi, Cauliflower Fried Rice, Pasta alla Caponata, Falafel, and more…
A lovely dish that I had a long time ago while living in Toronto is West African Peanut Stew, also known as Maafe! Rich and creamy, this savory recipe is incredibly delicious! This is a hearty meatless meal that can be served as is, but, chicken, beef 🐂, or lamb can also be added to it.
This one-pot recipe is very easy to make. Onions 🧅 and red peppers are sautéed together before adding ginger and garlic. Typically, Scotch bonnet or habanero are the preferred peppers. I always opt for the regular red bell ones, but go for the others if you want.
My take on this West African Peanut Stew • Maafe is slightly different from the original. I use regular smooth peanut butter 🥜, which contains sugar, instead of the natural kind. That said, you can go ahead and use whichever kind you prefer.
Just a quick tip…
When it comes to natural peanut butter, to keep a creamier texture and avoid stirring before using it, keep it in the fridge upside down. It forces the separated oil to travel 🚗 through the peanut butter and also prevents it from drying out. If the oil is all the way to the bottom, invert the jar.
The rest of the recipe is pretty much the same. Tomato paste and fire roasted tomatoes go in along with vegetable broth, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, and seasonings. Other options can be carrots, cabbage, or okra instead of sweet potatoes 🍠.
It takes between 15 to 20 minutes for the potatoes to be fork-tender. About 5 minutes before the end of cooking, the baby spinach leaves 🍃 are stirred in. At this point, if you want to add shredded, cooked chicken, beef or lamb cubes, this is the time to add them.
When the stew is done, spoon it 🥄 into warm bowls over a bed of rice or couscous. I like to garnish with unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts and sprinkle on some fresh, chopped cilantro. To cut through the richness of the dish, serve it with a few lime wedges.
With a gorgeous balance of nutty and savory flavors, this West African Peanut Stew • Maafe is certainly one to try! It’s simple and yet so tasty! Enjoy it as is, served over rice 🍚, or add some cooked meat to it for a complete meal…
Bon Appétit! 🍽
Check out these other amazing African recipes… 😀
– Moroccan Harira Soup
– Bunny Chow
– Moroccan Kefta Tajine
– Peri Peri Chicken
– Bobotie
– Hawawshi
– Moroccan Zaalouk
– Shakshouka
– North African Merguez
and for even more international recipes 🌍, click on this link… Recipe Category • International
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West African Peanut Stew • Maafe
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tbsp. vegetable oil tips & tricks
- 1 cup yellow onions, diced
- 1/2 cup red peppers, diced
- ground Himalayan pink salt, to taste
- 2 tbsp. ginger, minced
- 4 large cloves garlic, pressed
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste tips & tricks
- 1 1/2 cups smooth peanut butter, melted
- 1 can (14.5 oz.) fire roasted tomatoes
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 5 cups (about 2 medium) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 tbsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tbsp hot paprika
- freshly ground mixed peppercorns, to taste
- 4 cups baby spinach leaves, packed
- 1/2 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts, or as needed for garnish
- 1 1/2 tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro, for garnish tips & tricks
- lime wedges, for serving
Directions
- In a Dutch oven over medium heat, add oil. When hot, add onions and red peppers; season with ground sea salt. Sauté for 3 minutes.
- Add ginger and garlic; sauté for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir to coat.
- Pour in peanut butter and add fire roasted tomatoes; stir to blend.
- Pour in vegetable broth, increase heat to high, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add sweet potato pieces and chickpeas; season with ground cumin, hot paprika, and freshly ground mixed peppercorns. Mix well, and increase to medium-high heat.
- Cover, reduce back to medium, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender.
- About 5 minutes before the end of cooking, add baby spinach leaves, stir them into the stew. If desired, add shredded, cooked chicken to the mixture. Continue cooking for the remaining 5 minutes.
- Spoon in warm bowls, garnish with some dry roasted peanuts, and sprinkle on fresh chopped cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.
Don't forget to rate and comment on this recipe!
Last week, I saw your recipe on X and thought it sounded wonderful. I made it and added shredded chicken to it. My wife and I loved it. Have you ever made Scotch Pie? It’s a delicious recipe. Mar sin leat.
Hi Frankie,
I made it and I’m ashamed to say that it was tastier than my gogo. I made it with chicken but next time, I’ll use beef cubes. Thank you.
It was a fabulous stew! Always looking for meatless recipes.
I’m going to try it! My gogo (grandma) was making something similar to this dish.
That’s awesome! I’m sure you’ll love it 💖, Macy. Have a gorgeous day.
My daughter is vegetarian and I can see she would like this dish.
The beauty of this recipe is that it can be made with or without meat. My husband and I prefer it without 🚫. Have a fabulous day, Natalia.
It looks delicious. I’ll probably add chicken to it. Thanks chef for sharing all these amazing recipes.
It’s my pleasure 😉. I totally understand, but just to let you know, David and I prefer it without, and you know we’re serious carnivores. Have a beautiful day.