Nate’s Maafe (African Peanut Stew) Recipe

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It’s already been a long working week for me, so I wanted something pretty darn tasty to make up for it!
My Maafe does the job nicely, chicken, spices and peanut what more do you need? Maafe originates in Mali but is very popular across West Africa, i’ve put my own take on the dish and it’s very good if I do say so myself.

Typically Maafe is served with millet which is more of the staple foods I have anyway, but it would work just as well served with rice, couscous or even quinoa. I think millet it is best however as it already has a slightly nutty taste which goes so well with the sauce from the stew.

Before I carry on mumbling let’s get straight to the recipe!

 

What ingredients do I need?

The following ingredients will serve two or three people:

For the stew:

• 4 chicken breasts chopped into small pieces
• 2 table spoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 tea spoon of black pepper
• 1/4 tea spoon of salt
• 2 table spoons onion granules
• 2 table spoons of garlic powder
• 2 tea spoons of ground ginger
• 1 table spoon ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons of hot chilli powder
• 2 table spoons of ketchup
• 150 g smooth peanut butter
• 480 ml chicken stock
• 1/2 large sweet potato peeled and chopped into bite-size chunks
• 3-4 birdseye chillies

To serve:
1 cup of millet (or rice, couscous or quinoa if you’d prefer)
Kale with a few teaspoons of garlic powder

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Great! I’ve got those ingredients what do I need to do?

Firstly out you vegetable oil onto a frying pan, then add your chicken. After the chicken is added add your salt, pepper, onion granules, garlic powder, ground ginger, ground coriander and chilli powder.

  

 

Stir and cook the chicken for 5-6 minutes until most of the chicken is white and nicely covered in the spices, once that’s done turn off the heat.

Now in a saucepan add your chicken stock, tomato ketchup and peanut butter, allow that to simmer at a medium heat for a few minutes. And stir periodically until the peanut butter is melted into the stock. While it’s doing that chop up half a sweet potato into small chunks.

Add the chicken to the stock, chuck in any remaining oil or juices in the pan too, they’re welcome here! After a couple of minutes add the sweet potato and chillies and put the lid on, cook for 30 minutes.

 

Once it’s been cooking for 10 minutes with the lid on, it’s time to add you millet (or alternative) to a saucepan of water and start cooking at a medium heat.

 

Once the millet starts to looses it’s form and starts to look a bit mashy, this is when it’s done, so strain it and leave it to do the side for now. Once that’s done you could use the same pan (after washing it) and add the kale and garlic powder and some more water. Also take the lid of the stew and add a few peanuts into it and stir those in. The kale won’t need long to cook around 5-7 minutes should do it.

 

Once everything is done you’re ready to serve and enjoy!!