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Malian · West African

Fakoye

Non-vegetarian

A Songhai stew of lamb in a dark, silky sauce of jute leaves, tomato and soumbala, eaten with rice. A specialty of Gao and Timbuktu in northern Mali.

Fakoye is a Malian stew, ready in about 1 hour 45 minutes and made with lamb shoulder and jute leaves. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
Millet dough ball in dark green leaf sauce with meat
Photo: Mira Lopez eh / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0
Prep
15 min
Cook
1 h 30 min
Total
1 h 45 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
632

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Brown the lamb in the oil, add the onions (opens in a new tab) and fry until soft, then stir in the garlic (opens in a new tab) and tomato paste (opens in a new tab) for 2 minutes.

    Meat searing in a hot pan
    How it looks · Photo: Skylar Kang on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the water, soumbala (opens in a new tab), chilli, pepper (opens in a new tab) and salt and simmer covered until the lamb is tender.

    • 60 min
    • low heat

  3. Step 3

    Stir in the jute leaves (opens in a new tab) and simmer uncovered, stirring, until the sauce is dark, thick and silky, about 12 minutes. Serve over rice.

    • 12 min
    • low heat

About this dish

Origin
Gao and Timbuktu, Mali · Commonly attributedAssociated with the Songhai people of the Niger bend; traditionally made with dried, powdered jute leaves.Also popular in NigerMore food from Mali
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Stews & braises · Main courses
Cooking method
Stewed, Simmered
Taste
earthy, savoury, umami, spicy (chilli heat)
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Freezer-friendly
Cook more with
Lamb shoulder · Jute leaves · Onion · Garlic · Tomato paste · Fermented locust beans
Techniques
Simmering · Stewing

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

632 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 558 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 21%
  • Carbohydrate 8%
  • Fat 71%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy632 kcal113 kcal
Protein33.5 g6 g
Carbohydrate13.1 g2.3 g
Net carbohydrate——
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre——
Fat50.9 g9.1 g
Saturated fat18.1 g3.2 g
Trans fat2.1 g0.4 g
Cholesterol105 mg19 mg
Sodium1004 mg180 mg
Salt equivalent2.5 g0.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
1079 mg
Calcium
225 mg
Iron
6 mg
Magnesium
96 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
240 µg
Vitamin C
37 mg
Vitamin D
0.4 µg
Vitamin B12
3.3 µg
Folate (DFE)
—

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: long-grain white rice.
  • Fermented locust beans: Natto (fermented soybeans, FDC 172443) used as a stand-in for fermented African locust beans (iru / dawadawa / soumbala); both are alkaline-fermented, protein- and fat-rich legume seeds. Contains no soy itself.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • If using dried jute leaf powder, whisk it into a little warm water first so it doesn't clump.

Common mistakes

  • Covering the pot after adding the jute leaves — they lose their colour; cook uncovered.

Serve with

  • Serve with white rice.

Food safety

  • Simmer stewing beef, goat or lamb until fork-tender; cool leftovers quickly and refrigerate within 2 hours.

Storage

  • Refrigerate up to 3 days.

Reheating

  • Reheat gently, adding a splash of water.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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