My Peanut Butter Stew Recipe
As we quarantine ourselves at home in the time of Coronavirus, we’re all trying to figure out how to keep it together. Whether you’re home with kids who should be at school or working from home “indefinitely,” everyone’s stocking up on food. The grocery stores are empty and our fridges are full, but now what? Well this is a good time to explore some recipes that you haven’t made before or try different ways to make some of your favorite foods. In my home country, we eat a lot of rice and stews. One of our popular recipes is what’s called Peanut Butter Stew in the U.S. or Maffé Tiga in Guinea.
I’ve seen a few videos online trying to replicate the dish because many cultures have their own version. There are many different ways to make it and although it’s most commonly made with beef stew meat or chicken, it’s actually a really protein-rich option for vegans and people with different dietary restrictions too when you substitute the meat for a vegetable like squash. Like my other recipes, here’s my version of Peanut Butter Stew.
Ingredients
The basic ingredients for peanut butter stew are:
- Vegetable or Canola Oil
- Beef with bones
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Jumbo/Maggi Cubes – Optional
- Fresh Garlic
- Creamy Peanut Butter
- Yellow Onion
- Green Onions
- Tomatoes
- Tomato Paste
- Bay Leaf
- Boudi (Sqash) – Optional
- Carrots – Optional
- Scotch Bonnet Pepper – Optional
Prep and Steps
Once you have your ingredients, the process for peanut butter stew is pretty simple:
- Oil your pot and let it heat up
- Season the beef with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and fresh garlic then sautée.
- While your beef cooks, cut and blend onions, red peppers, green onions, and fresh garlic.
- Cut tomatoes and mix with tour blended mixture.
- Add black pepper, garlic powder, salt, and tomato paste to your mixture.
- Once the meat is cooked down, add the blended mixture to the pot and let it cook down together.
- *This is a good time to add in your hard to cook veggies like carrots and squash.
- Add the creamy peanut butter followed by a big bowl of water and the bay leaf.
- Allow the sauce to reduce. You should see the oil come up as the sauce starts to thicken.
Serving Maffé Tiga
Serve with a Side: The most common side for peanut butter stew is white or brown rice. However, there are so many different options. Whether you want to use a different rice like basmati that you like better, or you want to skip the rice altogether. For example, some people serve it with fonio, fufu, potatoes, or another starch. Whatever your style, peanut butter stew is a great hearty meal for you and your family!
Stew Pro Tips
- When I cook stew, I usually make a big pot. Then I fill up two or three plastic containers and store them in the freezer to keep the stew fresh longer. I can take it out of the freezer anytime and warm it up. It’s a good way to cook in advance and avoid having it spoil in the fridge after a couple weeks.
- Add whatever veggies you like – potatoes, carrots, squash, etc.
- Spice level is up to you! You can cook this stew with some Scotch Bonnet Peppers to go on the side.
