african peanut stew

Mafe (or Maafe) is an authentic African peanut stew made in a spicy, creamy peanut and tomato sauce. This is one mouthwatering and appetizing dish you would not be able to get enough of!

Mafe/Maafe (Senegalese Peanut Stew)

lbs stew beef

peanut butter

red bell pepper

tomato paste

onion

tbsp bouillon powder

cayenne pepper

olive oil

salt (to taste)

tsp black pepper

water

stock/broth

Wash beef and cut into smaller pieces.

Pour olive oil into a pan on medium heat.

Add beef, 1/2 tsp of black pepper, and a pinch of salt, and saute for 8-10 minutes.

Chop the onions and bell pepper.

Add onions and red bell pepper and saute for 3 minutes.

Add tomato paste and stir.

Cook for about 5 minutes.

Add water, stock, and bouillon, cayenne pepper and salt to taste.

Bring to a boil and cook for 5 more minutes.

Add peanut butter and stir till it is dissolved.

Let it cook till it thickens, roughly 2-5 minutes.

Serve with cauliflower rice and enjoy!

This peanut stew is a wholesome dairy free and gluten free meal that's packed with nourishment and warming flavors. It's delicious over rice and feeds a crowd. Freezer friendly and made with healthy, real food ingredients!

African Peanut Stew (Stove Top, Crock Pot, or Instant Pot)

tomato sauce tomatoes

natural creamy peanut butter (no stir work best)

tsp smoked paprika (adjust as needed)

tsp ground coriander (see note)

cayenne pepper, optional

tsp sea salt or kosher salt

lb diced stew meat (chicken, beef,

broth (2.5 cups if adding meat)

tsp minced garlic (3 small cloves)

ginger ginger

(2 small) sweet potatoes,

carrot, optional

spinach leaves baby spinach

Add all the sauce ingredients to a blender or food processor and pulse to combine. Alternatively, you can place them in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Make the Sauce

Notes before you begin. If you are using meat, brown it in the pan first, before adding the other ingredients.

Heat a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, add the meat and brown for 5 minutes, turn meat once to evenly cook. When meat is almost cooked through, remove from pan and place on a large plate or bowl. Set aside.

In the same pan, add 1/2 tbsp to 1 tbsp oil and onions. Sauté the onions for 3-4 minutes, stirring often and scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté another 1-2 minutes, then add the sweet potatoes and stir well to combine.

Add the tomato sauce, peanut butter, spices, spinach, and broth. Stir to combine. Simmer and cover for 1 hour or until sweet potatoes are tender and meat is cooked through.

Stove Top Instructions

Set your Instant Pot to sauté and add cooking oil. When oil is hot, add onion and garlic, and sauté until onions are brown, about 2 minutes. NOTE: If adding meat, first brown the meat in the oil, then add onion and garlic, and continue to sauté until onions are brown, about 2 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients (minus toppings) and sauce, then stir to combine. Pressure cook on high power for 20 minutes, then allow a natural release of the pressure.

After pressure is released, remove the lid and transfer contents to bowls for serving.

Instant Pot Instructions

Place diced sweet potatoes, carrots, and broth into the crock pot. Set on low while you make the rest of the stew.

OPTIONAL STEP (if adding meat). Place meat of choice in frying pan with 1 tbsp olive oil. Brown for 5 minutes, then add onion and garlic. Continue to saute until onions are brown, about 2 minutes. Place browned meat and onion to the crock pot with the veggies and broth. Mix to combine.

Make the sauce by placing all sauce ingredients listed into a blender or food processor. Alternatively, use a whisk to mix by hand. Blend until creamy and smooth.

Add sauce to the crock pot, along with spinach and remaining seasonings, then stir to combine.

Cover and cook on low for 4 1/2 to 5 hrs or high for 3 hours. Note: If you cook on high, check for doneness after 2 hours

When the stew is ready, ladle it over individual bowls of hot rice. Garnish with cilantro, chopped roasted peanuts, and optional spicy peppers of choice.

Crock Pot - Slow Cooker Instructions:

This is delicious. My family loved it. I make a similar peanut butter chicken curry that they love so I figured it would be a hit. Left out a lot of the chillies/chilli flakes as my kids wouldn't eat it otherwise, but it was still really full of flavour and will definitely be something we make again!

This recipe is amazing! Great flavor, excellent bit of heat, hearty. I froze it and am now having it for lunch. So good!

I used to make this recipe all the time in my crock-pot, but since moving to a mirco-sized apartment, my crockpot no longer fits in the world's smallest sink to wash, and I don't have a dishwasher! Any tips if I can cock this on a stovetop?

Excellent!!!  Will definitely make again!  I made the mistake of adding 2 tablespoons of cayenne pepper and two tablespoons of crushed red pepper instead of two teaspoons of each but I think it gave it the right amount of heat.  Loved it!

This is so warm and comforting. I absolutely love the flavors!

This was a huge hit at my house!! It  quickly became a favorite!

There is an incredible amount of flavor in this awesome stew! I loved it! I am always thrilled when I try something out of my comfort zone and it is wonderful!

I really wanted to like this recipe and the flavors were there. However, I made it in the IP and it turned out so soupy. I used 1 lb of chicken so I added 3 cups of liquid. However, I was thinking about it and the IP does not really allow for liquid evaporation like the stovetop method would so I am wondering if the liquid amount needs reduced for the IP. Just a thought! I will make again but on the stovetop next time!

I used to frequent a little african restaurant downtown Seattle and most often got their vegetarian mafe. That was years ago and living in northern Maine, you r not likely to get mafe and oh how I have missed it. This is the best recipe for mafe I have tries. It is closest to my memories if that little restaurant. It is easy, so tasty and it'sperfectly balanced. Thank you so much

This was so delicious! We used chicken thighs and paired it with brown jasmine rice for a hearty winter meal. Our 7 year old loved it and asked for seconds. Next time we will try the chickpeas for a veggie version. Love that it can be made mild or spicy to taste.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3mU39oJmf4

African Peanut Stew is a wholesome dairy free meal, full of warm flavors. Make this stew recipe on a stove top, in a crock pot, or Instant Pot! There's a vegetarian option, too. 

FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE - https://www.cottercrunch.com/crock-pot-west-african-peanut-stew/ 

Basic Ingredients you need

Sweet potato
Tomato 
Onion
Garlic & Ginger
Peanut butter
Peanuts
Chicken or veggie broth
Cilantro
Optional Stew Meat 
salt/pepper
Paprika

AFRICAN PEANUT STEW (slow cooker and instant pot options)

smoked paprika (adjust as needed)

coriander (see note)

salt salt

black pepper

broth (2 1/2 cups if adding meat)

garlic (3 small cloves)

I made this recipe just as written, and it is wonderful! I will definitely make it again and again!

Wow, this was delicious! I just found your blog while searching for naturally dairy-free &amp; gluten-free recipes &amp; I'm so excited to try more after this hit. I made it with chicken thighs, had kale instead of the spinach, but otherwise followed the recipe. I doubled it for my family of 7 &amp; I'm thrilled that I will have enough for leftovers tomorrow. Everyone from my 2 year old up to my adult "kids" said it needs to be on our regular rotation. Thank you!

This was outstanding!  Thank you for sharing. I was skeptical after mixing the peanut butter and tomato but after cooking for an hour it was delicious.  I think this will be on my menu for my next dinner party.  By the way it pairs great with Prosecco. Merry Christmas.

My family loved this easy IP recipe! I kept it vegan by using a can of chickpeas for added protein. My 14 month old ate it up. Sweet potatoes AND peanut butter?! His favorites! I left off any spice to make it more family friendly 👍

Top 3 african peanut stew recipes from across the web

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Mafe/Maafe (Senegalese Peanut Stew)

African Peanut Stew (Stove Top, Cro...

African Peanut Stew (Stove Top, Cro...

Top 3 african peanut stew recipes from across the web

The most viewed african peanut stew recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Mafe/Maafe (Senegalese Peanut Stew)

African Peanut Stew (Stove Top, Cro...

African Peanut Stew (Stove Top, Cro...

The most viewed african peanut stew recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine