WHAT IS PEANUT BUTTER STEW?

Peanut stew is cooked using smooth peanut butter with a rich base of caramelised tomato sauce. Then you add the protein of your choice and some vegetables to round it up together. The stew is part of the Mandinka's tribe staple food. The Mandinka tribe trace their origins to a country in West Africa called Mali. The Mandinka tribe is predominately found in The Gambia and Senegal apart from Mali. In The Gambia Peanut stew is called "Domodah" and in Senegal, it is called "Maafe". It can be cooked using fish, beef, pork or beans (Vegan). There are different variations of the dish depending on the protein used to cook it. This dish is a staple in Gambian and Senegalese house wholes.

What can I eat this recipe with?

It is eaten with freshly cooked Jasmin rice, basmati rice or any white rice of your choice. We also eat it with couscous, which is also delicious. But, for a low-carb alternative, you can eat with cauliflower rice.

African Chicken peanut stew (Maafe)

Description

This African Chicken peanut stew is a glorious and easy stew to make. It is cooked with a base of rich caramelise tomato sauce. It is delicious, flavourful and perfect for fall and winter weather. The dish is cooked with simple wholesome ingredients that you can find in any supermarket. This is a family staple I grew up eating and this recipe is foolproof and can be cooked within an hour. The combination of chicken, tomato sauce and peanut butter creates a magical combination. They complement each other and merge into the most delicious stew.

Ingredients

Units Scale

100ml of Rapeseed oil
4 Skinless Chicken Thighs (Bone in)
1 Red Sweet Pepper (Blended or thinly chopped)
4 Garlic Cloves (Blended or thinly chopped)
2 Small Yellow Onions (Blended or thinly sliced)
1 Scotch Bonnet (Optional) (Blended or thinly chopped)
2 Medium Fresh Tomatoes (Blended or thinly chopped)
3 Tablespoons of Tomato Paste
1000 ml of Water
2 Teaspoons of Black pepper
1 Teaspoon of Chili Flakes
1 Teaspoon of Italian herb seasoning (optional)
3 Teaspoons of Knorr Seasoning (Aromat) or Chicken bouillon of your choice
1 Teaspoon of Salt
2 Bay leaves
6 Tablespoons of Peanut Butter
5 Baby Potatoes (Cut in halves)
4 Sweet potatoes (Cut in halves)
4 Carrots (Cut in halves or leave as whole)

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Instructions

Begin by lightly adding salt to the Chicken and set aside. Thinly slice or blend the onions, garlic, tomatoes, sweet pepper and scotch bonnet together and set aside. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and sear both sides until brown then set aside.
Add the blended vegetables and bay leaves to the oil and sauté until softened and translucent. Add the tomato paste, stirring often and continue to sauté until it has caramelised and significantly darkened in colour (deep crimson). This will take about 1-3 minutes, once the vegetables and the tomato paste have caramelised, add the chilli flakes, Italian herb seasoning and black pepper, then stir to combine.
Now add 1000ml of water to the pan to deglaze, add the knorr seasoning and salt, stir and taste. Add the peanut butter to the pan, and stir until combined. Add the sweet potatoes, potatoes and carrots and leave to simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the chicken to the pot and leave it to simmer for 10 minutes with the pan lid closed.
After the 10 minutes, stir the stew and cover the pot half close with the lid. Reduce the heat to low and leave to simmer until the oil has separated and flooded on top of the stew. Off the heat. The stew is ready. Serve with cooked rice. Bon appetite!

Notes

The vegetables should be blended using the pulse Botton. Or they can be thinly chopped.

Be careful when stirring the stew, it has a tendency to splatter around.

Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 40
Category: Main meal
Method: Stew
Cuisine: West African/ Gambian