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Peanut stew (also maafe or mafe) is a staple in West African cuisine made from steak, lamb, or chicken with a hearty base of aromatics, tomatoes, and peanut butter. It has its origins in Mali but soon spread to nations throughout west and central Africa, varying from country to country. The Senegalese version is thick, rich, and served over rice, while the Ghanaian version is a bit soupier and often eaten with fufu (boiled and mashed cassava). It’s made by thickening a flavorful, tomato-y soup base with ground peanuts and root vegetables, which is exactly what we did for this stew. The traditional choice for chicken and peanut stew is bone-in, skinless dark meat, but we made it a step easier with boneless skinless chicken thighs instead. The result is a creamy, nutty, spicy, earthy meal that will warm you from the inside out.
African cuisine is nothing if not flavorful, and a lot of that flavor comes from spicy, floral chiles like habaneros and Scotch bonnets. They add a much welcome dash of complexity and heat to cut through the fatty peanut butter. But that doesn’t mean you can’t adjust the spice to suit your needs. If you’re spice-averse, don’t let the chiles scare you! Instead of slicing the chile in half, you can toss it in whole for a more subtle heat.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months.
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- Yields:
- 6 - 8 serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 30 mins
- Total Time:
- 2 hrs
Ingredients
- 1 tsp.
freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp.
ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp.
ground cardamom
- 4 tsp.
kosher salt, divided
- 1
(2") piece of ginger, peeled, minced, divided
- 4
cloves garlic, minced, divided
- 3 tbsp.
peanut or neutral oil, divided
- 1 1/2 lb.
skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 1
medium onion, finely chopped
- 2
medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
- 1
Scotch bonnet pepper or habanero chile, halved
- 2 tbsp.
chopped fresh thyme leaves, plus more for serving
- 2 tbsp.
tomato paste
- 1 1/4 lb.
Roma or beef steak tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1 c.
smooth peanut butter
- 4 c.
low-sodium chicken broth, divided
- 1
medium sweet potato, chopped into 1/2" pieces
- 2 tbsp.
fish sauce
- 3 c.
cooked white rice
- 3/4 c.
chopped roasted peanuts, for serving
Directions
- Step1In a small bowl, combine pepper, cumin, cardamom, and 2 tsp. salt. In a medium bowl, combine 2 1/2 tsp. seasoning mix, half of ginger, half of garlic, and 1 tbsp oil. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and add to bowl, tossing to coat. Let chicken sit at room temperature at least 15 minutes or refrigerated up to 2 hours.
- Step2In a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat, heat remaining 2 tbsp. oil. Arrange chicken in a single layer and cook, undisturbed, until a golden brown crust starts to form, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate.
- Step3In same pot, cook onion, carrot, and remaining seasoning mix, stirring occasionally and scraping up browned bits in bottom of pot, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add pepper and remaining ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add thyme and tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until paste darkens in color, about 4 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and 2 tsp. salt and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up tomatoes with a wooden spoon, until mostly broken down, about 20 minutes.
- Step4In a large bowl or measuring cup, whisk peanut butter and 1 cup broth until smooth.Add remaining broth1 cup at a time, whisking until smooth and combined. Add broth mixture and potatoes to pot, stirring to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender and soup is thickened, about 30 minutes.
- Step5Chop chicken into bite-size pieces. Remove pepper from pot, then return chicken to pot. Add fish sauce and stir until chicken is heated through.
- Step6Divide rice among bowls. Ladle soup over rice and top with peanuts and thyme.
- Step7Make Ahead: Stew can be made 5 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and chill, or freeze up to 3 months.
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