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

Name: West African Chicken in Peanut Sauce (Mafe)
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1/4 cup Peanuts, roasted and unsalted (opt), chopped; 3/4 lb Potatoes, sweet, peeled and chopped; 2 Turnips, small (sub carrots), peeled and chopped; 1/2 Bell peppers, red, chopped; 2 cloves Garlic, minced; 2 tsp Ginger, fresh, grated; 1/2 cup Peanut butter, creamy; 2 Tbsp Tomato paste; 2 cups Stock, chicken or vegetable; 1/2 tsp Red pepper flakes (opt); 1 lbs Chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, chopped; 3 Tbsp Cilantro, fresh, chopped; 1 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp Oil, cooking; 1/2 Limes, juice of; ~1 1/2 cups Leftover couscous (from Tuesday)

Active: 30 min Total: 40 min

Original GF Paleo Vegetarian

West African Chicken 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 chicken and vegetables is flavored with garlic and ginger to complement the rich sauce.

Dependency

Spiced Shrimp with Couscous and White Beans

Ingredients

Metric

Servings:

West African Chicken in Peanut Sauce (Mafe):

Peanuts, roasted and unsalted (opt) - 1/4 cup , chopped
Potatoes, sweet - 3/4 lb , peeled and chopped
Turnips, small (sub carrots) - 2 , peeled and chopped
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, chicken or vegetable - 2 cups
Red pepper flakes (opt) - 1/2 tsp
Chicken breasts, boneless and skinless - 1 lbs , chopped
Cilantro, fresh - 3 Tbsp , chopped
Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp
Limes - 1/2 , juice of
Leftover couscous (from Tuesday) - ~1 1/2 cups

Prep

Peanuts - If using, roughly chop peanuts. One easy way to do this is sealing nuts into a Ziploc bag and run a rolling pin over them a few times or lightly smashing with a tenderizer. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Potatoes / Turnips / Bell peppers / Garlic / Ginger - Prep as directed. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
Peanut sauce - Whisk together peanut butter, tomato paste, stock, ginger and red pepper flakes. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
Chicken - Chop into bite-sized pieces, season with salt and pepper and tenderize with a fork.
Cilantro - Chop cilantro.

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Make

Place sweet potatoes and turnips into a microwave-safe pan or bowl. Cover with wet paper towel and microwave on high until sweet potatoes are tender, ~3 minutes. (Turnips should still have a bit of crunch.) Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Heat a Dutch oven or wok over medium-high heat and add first part of cooking oil. When oil is hot, sear chicken until golden brown on all sides, ~4 minutes total (it may not be cooked all the way through, but will finish in the sauce). Remove from pan and set aside. Return the pan to the burner and reduce heat to medium.
To hot pan, add second part of oil, garlic and bell peppers. Saute until garlic is fragrant, ~1 minute. Add sweet potatoes, turnips and peanut sauce and bring to a simmer. Simmer until sauce reduces slightly, ~3 minutes. Return chicken to pan, spooning sauce over the top. Continue to simmer (don’t let it boil or the chicken will turn tough) until chicken is cooked through, ~4 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Top with lime juice, cilantro and chopped peanuts.
Reheat couscous briefly in the microwave. If it seems dry, fold in a splash of stock or water.
Spoon chicken, vegetables and sauce over couscous and enjoy!

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