Mafé (Senegalese Peanut Beef Stew) — Make‑Ahead
A rich West African peanut stew of braised beef and vegetables that tastes even better after a day in the fridge. Makes a large batch for lunches or dinners through the week.
2 hr 25 min
start to finish
25 min
hands on
Some skill
difficulty
6
servings
Ingredients
Contains peanut. Cooking for an allergy? Check the label on every packet you use — brands differ, and we can only tell you what the recipe calls for.
Roughly, per serving
700 kcal40g protein25g carbs50g fat
An estimate, not a lab analysis.
Method
Pat the beef cubes dry and season evenly with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
Working in a single layer and in batches, brown the beef cubes on all sides and transfer browned pieces to a bowl.
Add the sliced onion to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to color.
Add the minced garlic, grated ginger and tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, just until fragrant.
Stir in the peanut butter until it melts into the aromatics and becomes glossy.
Pour in the beef stock, 1 cup water and the diced tomatoes and stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the pot.
Add the browned beef back to the pot, then add the carrots, sweet potato (if using), bay leaf, brown sugar and the split chili (if using).
Bring the pot to a gentle simmer, cover and braise very gently until the beef is fork-tender.
Remove the lid and continue to simmer uncovered to thicken the sauce to your liking.
Stir in 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and taste; adjust seasoning with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper as needed.
Remove and discard the bay leaf and the split chili (if you used it).
Let the stew cool at room temperature before storing.
Portion cooled stew into airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat a portion gently in a saucepan over low–medium heat, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of water or stock if it’s too thick, until hot through.
Serve the reheated mafé over cooked rice or millet.
Worth knowing
- If you don't have natural peanut butter, substitute 1 1/4 cups roasted ground peanuts blended with 2–3 tablespoons neutral oil until paste-like.
- For leaner stew, use 1 1/2 lb beef plus 1/2 lb stewing beef trimmed of excess fat; cooking time is the same but check tenderness earlier.
- Mafé often tastes better the next day as flavors meld—portion into single-serving containers for grab-and-go lunches.
- To make a lighter sauce, use 3/4 cup peanut butter and increase stock by 1/2 cup.
- If freezing, leave 1/2-inch headspace in the container; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Swap sweet potato for butternut squash or omit it if you prefer a strictly classic meat-and-sauce version.
Make it yours
Cooking without dairy, without an oven, for someone who won't touch chilli, or for six instead of four? Have the recipe rewritten around it — quantities, steps and all.
Dairy-freeMeal prepOne pan
More Senegalese cooking
An original Restaurant Pro recipe — our own composition in the idiom of Senegalese cooking, not any restaurant's recipe. Written to be dairy-free as listed.