Traditionally, West African mafé contains meat or fish, but in this version, from chef Pierre Thiam’s “Simply West Africa,” root vegetables stew in the peanutty sauce. Cooking the vegetables partway in boiling water and then finishing them in the stew prevents overcooking. The stew is wonderful on its own, but for a heartier meal, serve it with fonio or rice.
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Make ahead: The vegetables can be parboiled up to 1 day in advance.
Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Ingredients
Servings: 6–8
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as refined peanut or vegetable
- 1 medium yellow onion (8 ounces), diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or finely grated
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups unsweetened creamy peanut butter
- 4 cups no-salt-added vegetable broth or water, plus more as needed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 Scotch bonnet or habanero chile, left whole (optional)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt, plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 medium carrots (12 ounces total), cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 large russet potato (10 ounces), peeled and cut into thick wedges
- 1 large sweet potato (10 ounces), peeled and cut into thick wedges
- 2 medium turnips (8 ounces total), peeled and cut into thick wedges
- Cooked fonio or rice, for serving (optional)
Directions
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Step 1
In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Add the onion and garlic, and saute until soft but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, adding a few tablespoons of water as needed to keep the onion and garlic from scorching, until the tomato paste slightly darkens, about 5 minutes.
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Step 2
Add the peanut butter and stir well, using a wooden spoon, to combine. Add the vegetable broth or water, bay leaf and Scotch bonnet chile. if using. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally to fully dissolve the peanut butter. Season with the salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the oil rises to the surface, 15 to 20 minutes.
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Step 3
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Drop the carrots, potato, sweet potato and turnips into the boiling water and blanch until they can be pierced with a knife but are still al dente, 5 to 8 minutes, working in batches if the pot is not large enough.
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Step 4
As they are done, use a large slotted spoon to transfer the vegetables to the peanut sauce and continue cooking until they are soft but still hold their shape, about 10 minutes. If cooking the vegetables in batches, transfer them to a large bowl and add all at once to the peanut sauce. Serve family-style with fonio or rice on the side, if desired.
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