Mafe is the ultimate comfort food in Dakar. It is also well known to make you very tired. I tried to stay as authentic as possible but I added a lot more vegetables in order to make it a bit more hearty.
Ingredients
1 Onion
2 Carrots
2-3 Potatoes
1 cup of chopped butternut squash/ melon
1 White sweet potato cubed
1 medium cassava root
10-15 pods of Okra (leave 5-7 unchopped)
3 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 -4 large spoons of peanut butter (depending on how peanut buttery you want it)
1 tablespoon of crushed Netetou (traditional West African seasoning)
1/2 tablespoon Black Pepper
1 habenero pepper (de-seed if you cant stand the heat)
maggi cube or vegetarian bullion really makes a difference)
Salt to taste
Directions
- Wash all vegetables and chop veggies , make the starchy veggies not too small so they keep some of their shape and texture.
- Saute oil in pot and add half of the onions, wait one minute and then add 5 cloves of chopped garlic.
- When browned a bit, add a cup of water and 3 tablespoons of tomato paste. Stir.
- When oil has risen to the top of the pot, add all vegetables except squash and okra.
- Add salt, pepper, habenero pepper, neteou, and maggi cube or bullion
- Let boil for about 15 minutes.
- Add squash and okra
- Take out about half a cup of the cooking broth and set it inside a bowl. Add 2-3 tablespoons of peanut butter to that bowl and stir until smooth
- Add tomato-peanut butter mixture to pot
- Stir well
- Taste for seasoning, add more salt if needed.
- Cook for 10 -15 minutes checking on liquid levels.
- Serve with a plate of hot white rice and side of lime!