Maafe (West African Peanut Soup)– A spicy peanut stew made with beef, sweet potatoes, and carrots – good enough for a one-pot meal and is delicious with served with rice
Ingredients
- ¼ cup of oil or more
- 1-2 pounds of beef or chicken
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoons of white pepper
- 2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped, divided
- 3-4 garlic cloves
- 2-3 tablespoons parsley
- ½ cups of ground peanuts or peanut butter paste
- 3-4 cups chicken or beef broth
- 1 pound or more, of vegetable potatoes, carrots
- 1 whole scotch bonnet or habanero pepper or ½ teaspoons of cayenne pepper, optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Season the meat with salt and onion and cook until tender, depending on your choice of meat in a large pot. It should contain at least 3-4 cups of broth. Remove the meat and reserve broth.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over low heat, then add the beef/chicken and saute, often stirring the golden pieces at the bottom of the pot. Remove and set aside.
- Blend tomatoes, 1/2 onion, garlic, and parsley. Add half of the onion to the pan, saute for about a minute and pour the mixture into the saucepan; Add the paprika, white pepper and saute for about 7 to 10 minutes. Stir often to avoid burns, add broth as needed.
- Then add the potatoes, carrots, peanut butter paste, scotch bonnet pepper, and about 3 cups of broth. Continue to cook until the potatoes are soft, about 10 or more, depending on the vegetables.
- Add the browned beef, adjust the thickness of the soup with water if necessary.
- Otherwise, reheat the soup and simmer to the desired thickness.
- Pour a little broth from your stirring spoon. If you are ok with the thickness of the soup, serve it.
Recipe notes
By browning beef or chicken, you can skip browning if you don’t want to deal with frying or browning, and continue with other instructions.
If you’re cooking for kids, skip the cayenne pepper and leave the scotch bonnet pepper whole; if not, chop it to add a little heat, but not too much.
