Mafé (Senegalese Peanut Stew) — Vegetarian

Name: Mafé (Senegalese Peanut Stew) — Vegetarian
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Senegalese
Ingredients: 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 medium yellow onions; 4 clove garlic; 1 tbsp fresh ginger; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 can diced tomatoes; 0.5 cup smooth peanut butter; 3 cup vegetable stock; 1 large sweet potato; 1 medium eggplant; 2 medium carrots; 1 medium red bell pepper; 8 oz okra; 1 can chickpeas; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp ground cumin; 0.25 tsp cayenne pepper; 1 tsp brown sugar; 1.5 tsp fine salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 1 piece lemon; 0.25 cup fresh cilantro; 2 tbsp roasted peanuts; 2 cup long-grain white rice; 4 cup water

A rich, saucy Senegalese groundnut (peanut) stew made vegetarian with sweet potato, eggplant, okra and chickpeas. Hearty, tangy and deeply satisfying — serve over rice for a filling one-pot meal.

AI image

1 hr 10 min

start to finish

20 min

hands on

Some skill

difficulty

servings

4 servings

Ingredients

For the mafé (peanut stew)

2 tbsp vegetable oilneutral oil such as canola or sunflower

Garnish and rice

2 tbsp roasted peanutschopped; optional but traditional

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

760 kcal22g protein75g carbs42g fat

An estimate, not a lab analysis.

Method

Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear.
Combine rinsed rice and 4 cups water in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer the rice gently until water is absorbed and grains are tender.
Do not lift the lid while rice simmers; after cooking let it rest covered 5–10 minutes off heat if you can.
Peel and cut the sweet potato into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes.
Cut the eggplant into 1-inch cubes and set aside.
Peel and slice the carrots into 1/4-inch coins.
Slice the onions and red bell pepper; mince the garlic and ginger.
Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat; add the sliced onions and sauté until soft and beginning to brown.
Add the minced garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for one minute.
Stir in the tomato paste, smoked paprika and ground cumin and cook, stirring, to bloom the spices.
Pour in the diced tomatoes, add the peanut butter and vegetable stock, and whisk until the peanut butter is fully incorporated and the sauce is smooth.
If peanut butter is very thick, warm it briefly or thin the stock with a splash of hot water before whisking.
Add the sweet potato, carrots and red pepper to the pot and bring the stew to a gentle simmer.
Cover and simmer until the sweet potato begins to soften.
Add the eggplant, okra, chickpeas, salt, black pepper and optional brown sugar; simmer uncovered until all vegetables are tender and the sauce thickens to a saucy consistency.
Taste and adjust seasoning; stir in the juice of one lemon and most of the chopped cilantro, reserving a little for garnish.
While the stew finishes, dry-toast the chopped roasted peanuts in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant, 1–2 minutes, then remove from heat.
Ladle the mafé over the cooked rice, sprinkle with toasted peanuts and the remaining cilantro, and serve hot.

Worth knowing

If you can't find smooth peanut butter, substitute 1/2 cup (about 75 g) finely ground roasted peanuts blended with 1–2 tablespoons neutral oil until nearly smooth.
For deeper flavor, roast the sweet potato and eggplant in a 425°F (220°C) oven for 20 minutes before adding them to the stew.
Make-ahead: mafé improves after a day in the fridge; reheat gently with a splash of water or stock to loosen the sauce.
To increase heat in a Senegalese style, add 1 small chopped Scotch bonnet or 1–2 tsp harissa while simmering.
Use frozen okra if fresh isn't available; add it in the last 10 minutes of cooking so it doesn't disintegrate.

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.

VegetarianVeganGluten-freeDairy-freeMeal prepOne panBudget

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 vegetarian and vegan and gluten-free and dairy-free as listed.