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Mafé Peanut Sauce

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Rice ball dipped into a bowl of maf peanut sauce.
Photo by Evan Sung

Mafé is my go-to sauce whenever I’m feeling a little bit homesick, or lazy, or in need of that warm, fuzzy feeling you get from eating your favorite comfort food. Known as one of the mother sauces of African cuisine, this incredibly versatile preparation can be paired with roast chicken, grilled fish, roasted vegetables, plain rice, or pretty much whatever you want. If you like peanuts, peanut butter, or any kind of peanut-flavored anything, this recipe is definitely for you. While mafé is good fresh off the stove, I also love reheating and eating it the next day, as the sauce tends to improve overnight after the flavors have expanded.

This recipe was excerpted from 'Simply West African' by Pierre Thiam. Buy the full book on Amazon.

What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. peanut oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 cups vegetable stock or water
½ cup unsweetened creamy peanut butter
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. fine sea salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, then add the garlic and tomato paste and continue cooking, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon to avoid scorching, until the tomato mixture darkens, about 3 minutes.

    Step 2

    Add the vegetable stock, peanut butter, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Stir well to incorporate the peanut butter into the stock, then allow the mixture to come to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the oil begins to rise to the surface and the sauce has a smooth and thick consistency, about 15 more minutes. Serve hot over rice or with the meat or vegetables of your choice. 

    Do ahead: Cool and store the sauce in a resealable jar with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Simply West African-COVER.jpg
Reprinted with permission from Simply West African by Pierre Thiam with Lisa Katayama, copyright Pierre Thiam © 2023. Photographs by Evan Sung. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Buy the full book from Amazon or Penguin Random House.
TagsCookbooksWest AfricanAfricanVegetarianSaucePeanutNutVeganPeanut ButterCondiment

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