Hello there!
What better way to start a new week than a traditional African stew?
Today’s recipe is my take on one of Africa’s best dishes: peanut stew, also called sauce arachide in Central Africa, or MafĂ© in francophone West Africa.
As its name suggests, the main ingredient here is peanuts, peanut butter to be more specific.
I used a jar of peanut butter that I brought from my trip in Ghana… and yes, my souvenirs were mainly food ingredients xD
Any kind of unsweetened peanut butter can be used for this recipe, homemade peanut butter is always the best, of course.
Depending on the area (Western or Central Africa), the stew will be more or less thick, with or without vegetables.
I tried to mix the two intrepretations of the African peanut stew by making a less thick version with vegetables (carrots and potatoes).
In Cameroon, to make it less thick, we simply dilute it with more water; for my recipe instead, I used coconut milk (and water).
This stew is typically served with white rice, but any rice will do, it can also be served with fufu, futou or boiled plaintain.
For this recipe, I decided to film a 60-second video showing each step of the recipe: find it at the end of the written instructions.
Without further ado, here’s the recipe.
If you are interested in more African chicken stew, check this one out:
Bon appetit!
Mafe Coco (Peanut and Coconut Milk Chicken Stew) with Video
Course: MainCuisine: African4
servings10
minutes1
hour25
minutesIngredients
- Marinade
3 Garlic cloves
1 Onion
1 Green onion
Fresh Thyme
3cm Ginger
Fresh Parsley
100ml Water
1 teaspoon salt
1 Bouillon cube (Maggi)
- Stew
4 tablespoons Vegetable oil
2 full Chicken legs
1 Onion
3 tablespoons Tomato paste
3 Tomatoes
120g Peanut butter
1 can (400ml) Coconut milk
2 Bay leaves
3 Bouillon cubes (Maggi)
Water (warm)
1 Carrot (chopped)
2 small Potatoes (chopped)
1 Scotch pepper (optional)
Directions
- Blend onion, green onion, thyme, ginger, parsley and garlic with water. Save 2 tablespoons in another bowl.
- Season the chicken with the green mixture and 1 bouillon cube.
- Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
- Take chicken out of the fridge, let sit outside for 5 minutes.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan. Add in the chicken and cook on both side until golden. Set the chicken aside.
- In a bowl, mix together 200ml of water, tomato paste and 2 tablespoons of green marinade.
- In another pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Add in the onion. Cook until translucent.
- Add in the tomato. Add in the tomato-marinade mixture. Stir continuously while cooking for 5 minutes.
- Add in the coconut milk, peanut butter and bouillon cubes. Stir continuosly while cooking for an additional 5 minutes.
- Add in the chicken, vegetables, bay leaf and 150ml water. Salt to taste. Cover and cook for 25-30 minutes until the vegetables are cooked.
- Serve with white rice, fufu, or boiled plantain.
I am so excited about this recipe. How much thyme and parsley do you use part?
Hi Rachel! Thank you for your comment. It’s really up to taste, but I normally use 3 sprigs of thyme and a handful of parsley (I love parsley). I’d suggest starting with less parsley (30 grams), taste it and add more to the blender if needed. Have a great day!