Oh, my word! Is this my favorite dish from the continent of Africa? Yes, it is. Also, would it be fair if I kept this recipe to myself and didn’t share it with anyone? No. This creamy and flavorful stew is my way of bidding goodbye to the cold weather. Au revoir… look forward to seeing you in a few months (not really!) Now, Maafe is a very popular West African stew, made with ground peanuts. Of course, you can make it with any meat of your choice but I will have to admit, this recipe tastes just as good vegan. When I first made this recipe, I was in my teens. I saw it on a food channel and I knew I had to make this at home. Though at that time I had to make the peanut butter myself because that’s how the authentic version was made on TV. I eventually realized store bought peanut butter gave this stew the same texture and taste. What a miracle in a jar that thing is! Also, I am using boneless chicken thighs because dark meat retains its juiciness and meats in stews are suppose to melt in your mouth. Just a very few ingredients in this recipe, but the flavor and creaminess of this stew will leave you stumped. Serve it with some rice or dip some of that hearty bread and you will see the light! (Angel singing)
- • Chicken thighs (choice of meat) — 1 pound (boneless), cut into small pieces.
- • Yellow onion — 1 (medium), chopped
- • Jalapeno — 1 chopped
- • Garlic paste — 1 teaspoon
- • Bay leaf — 2 to 3
- • Tomato paste — 2 tablespoons
- • Bell pepper (any color) — 1, chopped into 1 inch squares
- • Red chili flakes (optional) — 1 teaspoon
- • Peanut butter (smooth) — 4 to 5 tablespoons
- • Water — 3 cups
- • Salt — 1/2 teaspoon
- • Avocado oil — 2 tablespoons
- First step would be to pat the chicken dry with a paper towel to remove any excess water. The chicken should not have any moisture.
- Next step is to sear the chicken. Heat a heavy bottom pot (with a lid) on high. Turn the flame to a medium 5 or 6 and add the oil. Let the oil heat for a couple of minutes. Now, add half of the chicken and let it sear on each side until the exterior gets brown. This should take somewhere between 3 to 4 minutes.
Make sure to do this in two to three batches. If you overcrowd the pot, the meat will start releasing water and start to cook. The idea here is to just sear the surface of the meat. The meat shall cook to perfection later in the recipe. - Once all the chicken has been seared, remove it from the pot and set it aside. There should be some leftover oil in the pot, if not add a teaspoon of oil and wait until it heats up. Then add the bay leaves, red chili flakes and chopped onion. Sauté it until the onions turn translucent.
- Now add the jalapeno and garlic paste, sauté for no more than 30 seconds. Then add the chicken and tomato paste, sauté for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add water and salt, give it a stir. Put the lid and let it simmer on low for 15 to 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, stir the peanut butter in, along with the chopped bell pepper.
Adding the bell pepper later in the recipe will ensure the pepper remain crunchy and retain its sweetness. Put the lid back on and cook for another 5 minutes. - Give it a taste and add more salt if needed.
By now the chicken thighs should be fork tender, enjoy!
- • Sear meat: Searing meat caramelizes the sugars and browns the proteins in the meat, resulting to a more appealing color and flavor.
- • Vegetable pairing: You can use Okra, spinach or potato. If using potato make sure to add it 10 minutes after the chicken is added since they take longer to cook. Okra and spinach can go at the same time as the bell pepper.
