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Week of 12/2/24

West African Kidney Beans in Peanut Sauce (Mafe)
with root vegetables / couscous

Active: 40 Total: 40
Original GF Paleo Vegetarian
West African Kidney Beans in Peanut Sauce (Mafe)

While we often think of peanut sauce in Asian dishes, it makes a creamy, flavorful base for a popular West African dish called mafe. This comforting stew of beans and vegetables is flavored with garlic and ginger to complement the rich sauce. A previous version of this meal last appeared in 2018. That version featured tofu but we've used beans this time to showcase the versatility of this dish.

Tags
Make Ahead
Proteins
Beans, kidney
Cuisines
African
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43

Ingredients

Metric
Servings:
4
Couscous:
  • Stock, any type - 1 cup (sub water)
  • Salt - 1/4 tsp
  • Butter - 2 Tbsp
  • Couscous, uncooked - 3/4 cup
West African Kidney Beans in Peanut Sauce (Mafe):
  • Peanuts, roasted and unsalted (opt) - 1/4 cup , chopped
  • Sweet potatoes - 3/4 lb , peeled and chopped
  • Turnips, small - 2 , peeled and chopped (sub carrots)
  • Bell peppers, red - 1/2 , chopped
  • Garlic - 2 cloves , minced
  • Ginger, fresh - 2 tsp , grated
  • Peanut butter, creamy - 1/2 cup
  • Tomato paste - 2 Tbsp
  • Stock, any type - 2 cups
  • Red pepper flakes (opt) - 1/2 tsp
  • Cilantro - 3 Tbsp , chopped
  • Beans, kidney (14 oz / 397 g) - 1 can , drained and rinsed
  • Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
  • Limes - 1/2 , juice of

Prep

  1. Couscous - Combine stock (portion for couscous), salt, and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Stir in couscous and remove from heat. Cover pan and let sit for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)

  2. Peanuts - If using, roughly chop peanuts. One easy way to do this is by sealing nuts into a Ziploc bag. Then run a rolling pin over them a few times or lightly smash with a tenderizer. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)

  3. Potatoes / Turnips / Bell peppers / Garlic / Ginger - Prep as directed. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)

  4. Peanut sauce - Whisk together peanut butter, tomato paste, stock (portion for mafe), ginger, and red pepper flakes. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)

  5. Cilantro - Chop cilantro.

  6. Beans - Drain and rinse.

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Make

  1. Place sweet potatoes and turnips into a microwave-safe pan or bowl. Cover with wet paper towels and microwave on high until sweet potatoes are tender, ~3 minutes. (Turnips should still have a bit of crunch.) Season lightly with some salt and pepper.

  2. Heat a Dutch oven or wok over medium heat and add cooking oil. To hot pan, add garlic and bell peppers. Saute until garlic is fragrant, ~1 minute.

  3. Add sweet potatoes, turnips, and peanut sauce and bring to a simmer. Simmer until sauce reduces slightly, ~3 minutes.

  4. Add kidney beans to pan and stir to combine. Continue to simmer until everything is warmed through, ~4 minutes more. Season with some salt and pepper.

  5. Top with lime juice, cilantro, and chopped peanuts.

  6. If couscous was made ahead, reheat briefly in the microwave. If it seems dry, fold in a splash of stock or water.

  7. Spoon beans, vegetables, and sauce over couscous and enjoy!

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