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Senegalese · West African

Mafé

Non-vegetarian

Beef braised in a thick, rich sauce of peanut paste and tomato with carrots and sweet potato, gently spiced with chilli. A much-loved stew of Senegal, Mali and the Gambia.

Mafé is a Senegalese stew, ready in about 2 hours 10 minutes and made with beef chuck and peanut butter. It serves 6 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
A serving of Peanut stew
Representative photo. Marshiayers / Wikimedia Commons · CC0-1.0
Prep
15 min
Cook
1 h 55 min
Total
2 h 10 min
Serves
6
Level
Easy
Calories
493

Ingredients

6 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Brown the beef in the oil in batches in a heavy pot. Add the onions (opens in a new tab) and cook until soft, then the garlic (opens in a new tab).

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

  2. Step 2

    Stir in the tomato paste (opens in a new tab) and fry 3 minutes, then add the canned tomatoes (opens in a new tab).

    • 5 min
    • medium heat

  3. Step 3

    Whisk (opens in a new tab) the peanut butter (opens in a new tab) with some of the water until smooth and add it to the pot with the rest of the water, chilli, bay leaf (opens in a new tab) and salt.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Simmer gently, partly covered and stirring often, for 1 hour.

    • 60 min
    • low heat

    Peanut sauces catch easily — stir and scrape the bottom regularly.

  5. Step 5

    Add the carrots (opens in a new tab), sweet potato (opens in a new tab) and cabbage (opens in a new tab) and cook until the vegetables and beef are tender and the sauce is thick with oil on the surface.

    • 30 min
    • low heat

About this dish

Origin
Not attributed to one place · Commonly attributedWidely attributed to the Mandinka and Bambara peoples of Mali; now a staple across Senegal, the Gambia, Guinea and beyond.Also popular in Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Stews & braises · Main courses
Cooking method
Braised, Stewed
Taste
nutty, rich, savoury, spicy (chilli heat)
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Low-carb · High-protein · Carb-conscious · Calorie-conscious
With the listed swaps: Beef-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Freezer-friendly · Make-ahead · Batch cooking
Cook more with
Beef chuck · Peanut butter · Onion · Garlic · Tomato paste · Canned tomatoes
Techniques
Simmering · Braising · Stewing

Allergens

  • Contains: Peanutsfrom peanut butter

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

493 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 482 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 30%
  • Carbohydrate 17%
  • Fat 53%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy493 kcal102 kcal
Protein38.4 g8 g
Carbohydrate22.2 g4.6 g
Net carbohydrate17 g3.5 g
Sugars9.7 g2 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre5.2 g1.1 g
Fat30.2 g6.3 g
Saturated fat6.5 g1.3 g
Trans fat0.4 g0.1 g
Cholesterol85 mg18 mg
Sodium807 mg168 mg
Salt equivalent2 g0.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
1090 mg
Calcium
101 mg
Iron
4.4 mg
Magnesium
110 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
343 µg
Vitamin C
17 mg
Vitamin D
0.1 µg
Vitamin B12
3.1 µg
Folate (DFE)
53 µg

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: cabbage.
  • “—” 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

  • The sauce is ready when a sheen of red peanut oil rises to the surface.

Common mistakes

  • Boiling after adding the peanut butter — it catches and scorches.

Serve with

  • Serve over white rice, or with fonio or couscous.

Food safety

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

Storage

  • Refrigerate up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months.

Reheating

  • Reheat gently with water to loosen.

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, 5

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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