Mafe

Name: Mafe
Cook time: 125 min
Total time: 125 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: West African
Ingredients: 700g Chuck Beef, Cut into 3 cm cubes; 250g Peanut Butter, Smooth (100% peanuts); 400g Crushed Canned Tomatoes; 2 tbsp Tomato Paste; 2 large Onions, Sliced; 3 cloves of Garlic, Minced; 10g Ginger, Fresh, grated; 1 Scotch Bonnet, or hot chili; pierced or finely chopped; seeded to taste; 3 medium Carrots, Cut into chunks; 1 large Sweet Potato, Peeled and cubed; 200g Green Cabbage, Cut into chunks; 750ml Beef Stock, or water; 2 tbsp Peanut Oil, or vegetable oil; 1 1/2 tsp Salt, Fine; plus more to taste; 1/2 tsp Pepper (Black); 1 Bay Leaf, Optional; 300g White Rice; Some Parsley, or cilantro; small handful, chopped; optional garnish

Mafé is a comforting West African peanut stew featuring tender beef simmered in a rich, savory tomato-and-peanut sauce with hearty root vegetables and cabbage. Serve it over fluffy rice and finish with fresh parsley for a warming, deeply flavorful meal.

Mafé is a comforting West African peanut stew featuring tender beef simmered in a rich, savory tomato-and-peanut sauce with hearty... Show more

Traditional West African Recipe

Health Grade

B+ · Healthy

Rating

4.3

Time

2 hrs

Price

4,34 €

Calories

1294 kcal

meal prep

one pot

gluten free

high protein

Method

Wash the produce

Rinse the carrots, sweet potato, green cabbage, and Scotch bonnet under cool water. If you're using parsley for garnish, rinse that too and shake it dry.

Prep everything

Trim any large hard pieces of fat from the chuck beef, then cut it into roughly 3 cm cubes so it cooks evenly. Peel the onions and slice them. Peel and mince the garlic, then peel and grate the fresh ginger. Cut the carrots into chunky bite-size pieces, cube the sweet potato, remove the tough core from the cabbage and cut it into chunks, and either pierce the chili a few times for gentler heat or finely chop it for a spicier stew, seeding it first if you want it milder.

Season the beef

Pat the beef dry, then season it with about 1 teaspoon of the fine salt and all of the black pepper. Toss well so each piece is lightly coated.

Heat the pot

Set a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the peanut oil. Let the oil heat until it looks loose and shimmery.

Sear the beef

Add half the beef in a single layer and sear until deeply browned, about 4 minutes on the first side and 3 minutes after turning. Transfer it to a plate, then repeat with the remaining beef.

Soften the aromatics

Lower the heat to medium and add the onions with a pinch of the remaining salt. Cook, stirring and scraping up the browned bits, until the onions are soft and lightly golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger, and chili and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.

Build the sauce

Stir in the tomato paste and cook it for 1 minute to take off the raw edge. Add the crushed tomatoes and scrape the bottom of the pot clean, then whisk in the smooth peanut butter a spoonful at a time so it melts into the tomatoes instead of clumping. Pour in the beef stock, add the rest of the salt and the bay leaf if using, and stir until the sauce looks smooth and brick-red.

Simmer the beef

Return the browned beef and any juices on the plate to the pot. Bring the stew just up to a boil, then lower the heat so it stays at a gentle bubble, cover loosely, and simmer until the beef starts to become tender, 45 minutes. Give it a stir once or twice so the peanut sauce doesn't catch on the bottom.

Add the vegetables

Stir in the carrots and sweet potato, cover loosely again, and simmer until both are nearly tender, 15 minutes. Add the cabbage and continue simmering until the beef is very tender and the vegetables are soft but not falling apart, 10 to 15 minutes more. If the stew gets thicker than you like, loosen it with a splash of hot water or stock.

Cook the rice

About 20 minutes before the stew is ready, rinse the white rice under cool water until the water runs mostly clear. Put it in a saucepan with 600 ml water and a pinch of salt, bring it to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it stand, covered, for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

Serve the mafe

Fish out the bay leaf if you used one, then taste the stew and add a little more salt if it needs it. Spoon the rice into bowls, ladle the mafe over or alongside, and scatter over the parsley if using.