The origins of the Maafe Recipe
Maafe is a dish found throughout the whole of Western Africa. Some
claim the dish originates from Guinea, while other say it where the Mandinka people of Mali who first came up with recipe. However the name of the Dish ‘Maafe’ or ‘Mafé’ means sauce in the Fula language, which is spoken by the Fula or Peuhl people who live all across West Africa. The dish is really popular in countries like Senegal, Gambia, Guinee-Conakry, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast. The recipe for Maafe has slightly regional differences, but it’s main ingredients are white rice, some kind of meat or poultry and peanut sauce.
Maafe, peanutsauce & rice from Senegal
The following recipe is based on a local variant from Senegal, which is really similar to the Maafe dish eaten in Gambia and other West African countries. This variant of the recipe for Maafe is served with beef, but one could also change the recipe for chicken.
main ingredients for Senegalese Maafe
- One pound of beef (500gr)
- White rice
- Peanut butter
- Tomato concentrate
- 1 sweet potato
- 2 normal potatoes
- 1 eggplant
- 3 carrots
- 1 chili pepper
- 1 Onion
- 2 tomatoes
- cooking oil (15 ml)
- 1 laurel leaf
- 2 Maggi cubs
- 1,5 liter of water
- Salt
- pepper
easy recipe for Senegalese Maafe
1st step:
Cut the beef into smaller pieces and heat up the oil in a big deep pan.
Now fry the meat until it takes a slight brown color.
2nd step:
Chop the onions and tomatoes. Now add the onions first and fry them slightly before adding the chopped tomatoes.
3rd step:
Now add 2 tablespoons of tomato concentrate and cook for 2-3 minutes .
4th step:
Add around 1,5 liter of water so that the meat is completely covered.
5th step:
add 4 tablespoons of peanut butter to the water and stir slowly until there are no lumps left.
6th step:
Now chop all the vegetables left (1 sweet potato, 2 normal potatoes, 1 eggplant, 3 carrots, 1 chili pepper) in rather big pieces and add them together with the laurel leaf and the magi cubes to the pan. Let it simmer on low fire for about 50 minutes.
7th step:
Cook the white rice and serve it together on one big plate with the thickened maafe sauce. Now enjoy your Senegalese Maafe together with your friends or family. add a bit of salt and pepper if necessary. Bonne Appetite!