~673 cal · 51g protein · 22g carbs · 43g fat (estimated, per serving)
🍽️
Reddish-brown peanut stew with beef and vegetables over rice
🇲🇱 Bamako
Maafe is the Sunday stew that binds much of West Africa, and in Bamako it is cooked slow until the peanut sauce turns glossy and deep. The Mandé peoples spread it along the old trade routes, and every family tunes the balance of nutty richness, tomato tang, and gentle heat to its own taste.
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🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
Ingredients
Serves 6 —
•
2 lb beef or lamb, cubed
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1 cup natural peanut butter
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3 tbsp tomato paste
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2 chopped tomatoes
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1 onion
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4 cloves garlic
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1 a scotch bonnet
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1 sweet potato
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2 carrot
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1/4 head cabbage
Instructions
1
Brown the meat (or leave the vegetables raw) with the onion and garlic in a heavy pot.
2
Stir in the tomato paste and cook a minute, then add the chopped tomatoes and enough water to cover.
3
Whisk the peanut butter (or sunbutter) with a ladle of the hot broth until smooth, then stir it back in.
4
Add the root vegetables and scotch bonnet and simmer gently 45–60 minutes until the sauce is thick and the oil rises.
5
Serve over rice or with fufu, spooning the glossy sauce over everything.
Bamako home cooking.
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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination
📍
Bamako. The Niger-side capital where groundnut stew simmers all day.
🗺️
Mali. Where the Niger River feeds a groundnut-stew heartland.
🌍
Africa. Fifty-four countries of tagines, stews, and fire-kissed grills.
The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.
👩🍳
Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker
Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →
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