In the culinary world, comfort food reigns supreme, offering a warm embrace to the soul and a delightful symphony of flavors to the palate. One such culinary masterpiece is Tom's Maffe, a traditional dish originating from the vibrant streets of Mombasa, Kenya. This tantalizing dish is a harmonious blend of spices, coconut milk, and tender chunks of beef, simmered together in a captivating symphony of aromas and tastes. Join us on a culinary expedition as we unveil the secrets behind this beloved delicacy, exploring three enticing variations that cater to diverse preferences and culinary adventures. Dive into the classic Tom's Maffe, where coconut milk and a medley of spices create a rich and creamy sauce that envelops succulent pieces of beef, promising an explosion of flavors in every bite. Embark on a journey of culinary fusion with the tantalizing Beef Maafe, where tender beef is braised in a luscious tomato-based sauce, infused with a hint of coconut milk, creating a delightful interplay of sweet and savory notes. For those seeking a vegetarian delight, the Vegetable Maafe beckons with its vibrant array of vegetables, bathed in a creamy coconut sauce bursting with aromatic spices, offering a symphony of textures and flavors that will captivate the senses.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
MAFE (PEANUT BUTTER STEW)
Mafe is a Senegalese classic. It is also an entrant into the peanut stew sweepstakes that could be held for dishes from all over the continent. Here the meat of choice is lamb, but mafe could also be prepared from beef or chicken. Traditionally the stew is served with white rice.
Provided by Food Network
Categories main-dish
Yield Serves 4 to 6
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan, add the onion, and cook over medium heat until it is translucent. Add the meat and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until it is lightly browned on all sides.
- In a small bowl, mix the peanut butter with the cold water and pour it over the meat. Dilute the tomato paste with the hot water, pour the liquid over the stew, and stir well to make sure all the ingredients are well mixed. Add the remaining ingredients, lower the heat, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour, or until the meat is tender. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Serve hot over white rice.
SENEGALESE MAFE
Steps:
- Season chicken and brown in oil in a large heavy pot. Add onions and tomatoes. In separate pot heat chicken stock and whisk in tomato paste. Thin peanut butter slightly with hot liquid and add all liquids to pot with chicken. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Add vegetables and cook until chicken and vegetables are tender, approximately 45 minutes. Season to taste with salt, cayenne and ground white pepper. Garnish with peanuts.
VEGETARIAN MAFE (AFRICAN STEW)
Make and share this Vegetarian Mafe (African Stew) recipe from Food.com.
Provided by Outta Here
Categories Stew
Time 1h20m
Yield 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Heat oil in Dutch oven or heavy soup pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the onions and cook until beginning to brown.
- Add vegetables one at a time, sauteing each one for a minute or two before adding the next.
- Stir in tomato sauce and about one cup of water (depending on thickness of stew you desire). Reduce heat & simmer until all the vegetables are tender (15-30 minutes).
- Spoon out half a cup of the broth & mix it with the peanut butter to make a smooth paste. Return to the pot & simmer for 15 minutes.
- Serve over cooked, hot rice (optional).
CHICKEN MAFE
This West African favorite, adapted from Rama Dione and Papa Diagne, balances the richness of peanut butter with tomato and aromatics, cooked down to a thick gravy. The addition of Southeast Asian fish sauce gives the dish depth and is somewhat traditional, given the Vietnamese influence, via the French, in Senegal. But absolutely traditional would be to eat this with guests, directly from a large platter, to demonstrate welcome and unity.
Provided by Francis Lam
Categories soups and stews, main course
Time 1h45m
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Finely mince 6 cloves garlic and the ginger with a pinch of salt, plenty of black pepper and crushed red-pepper flakes to taste. Season chicken all over with salt, and rub with the garlic mixture. Marinate for three hours or overnight, refrigerated.
- Finely chop the remaining 6 cloves of garlic. In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the onion, chopped garlic, 2 teaspoons kosher salt and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, until the onion is starting to become translucent. Stir in the fish sauce, then the tomato paste, and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, until the paste and onions have combined and are a shade darker. Stir in 6 cups water, scraping up any browned bits.
- Add the chicken, bring to a boil and turn heat down to a moderate simmer. In a mixing bowl, stir a cup of the cooking liquid into the peanut butter, a splash at a time, to loosen it. Pour the peanut butter mixture into the pot, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the cabbage and carrots, and simmer 10 minutes. Peel and cut the sweet potato and waxy potatoes into 1 1/2-inch chunks, add them and simmer 30 minutes, until the vegetables and chicken are tender and the sauce is like a very thick gravy. (The oil will be separating in the sauce.) If the chicken and vegetables are tender but the sauce is still a little loose, remove them, and let the sauce cook down. Add the chile if using. Taste, adjust seasoning with salt and serve over white rice.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 848, UnsaturatedFat 33 grams, Carbohydrate 80 grams, Fat 45 grams, Fiber 12 grams, Protein 38 grams, SaturatedFat 9 grams, Sodium 1392 milligrams, Sugar 12 grams, TransFat 0 grams
CHRISTMAS ALMOND TOFFEE
After trying a coworker's fabulous toffee, I had to have the recipe! It's now a regular on my Christmas cookie tray. I also entered it at our country fair and received "Best in Show."-Sue Gronholz, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Desserts
Time 50m
Yield about 1-1/2 pounds.
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Grease a 15x10x1-in. pan with 1 tablespoon butter; set aside. In a large heavy saucepan, melt remaining butter. Add sugar, slivered almonds, water and salt; cook and stir over medium heat until a candy thermometer reads 295° (approaching hard-crack stage). Remove from heat; stir in vanilla., Quickly pour into prepared pan. Let stand at room temperature until cool, about 1 hour., In a microwave, melt 1 cup chocolate chips; spread over toffee. Refrigerate 45 minutes or until set. Invert onto an ungreased large baking sheet. Melt remaining chips; spread over toffee. Sprinkle with chopped almonds. Let stand 1 hour. Break into bite-size pieces. Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 325 calories, Fat 24g fat (13g saturated fat), Cholesterol 46mg cholesterol, Sodium 218mg sodium, Carbohydrate 28g carbohydrate (26g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 3g protein.
LAMB-SHOULDER MAFE WITH FONIO
The Senegalese-born chef Pierre Thiam makes this lamb mafe with meat from the shoulder, on or off the bone, which goes tender after a stretch of unattended, gentle simmering. Adapting the dish in New York, Thiam thickened it with jarred peanut butter, which lends the sauce its characteristic creaminess, and Vietnamese fish sauce, for salty depth. Though he leaves the Scotch bonnet whole, if you want a more intense taste of it, crush it apart with a wooden spoon, and you'll tap right into its bright, floral heat. You could serve the stew with rice, or a number of other grains, but Thiam serves his on a heap of warm fonio, a tiny, tender, ancient grain that can be found partly cooked and dehydrated in many West African grocery stores, as well as specialty food stores and health food markets.
Provided by Tejal Rao
Categories dinner, grains and rice, main course
Time 3h
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 25
Steps:
- Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Season the lamb with 1 tablespoon of salt, and brown in batches until all the meat is browned. Set aside the meat, and pour off excess fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pot.
- Add onion, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and cook until it turns translucent. Reduce heat to low, then add garlic, and stir well. Cook for a minute or 2, until it is fragrant, then add tomato paste, and cook for 7 more minutes, until the paste is dark in color. If the mixture begins to brown too quickly, lower the heat, and add a splash of water to deglaze the pan. Return the meat to the pot, add stock to cover meat and bring to a simmer. Add bay leaves, thyme and remaining salt, and cover. Cook for 2 hours on low heat, or until the meat is very tender.
- Prepare the parsley topping: Combine the parsley, scallions, garlic, Scotch bonnet and lemon zest in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste, cover and refrigerate until it's time to serve.
- Start the fonio: Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, and cook until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and carrot, and cook for 3 minutes more, until the garlic is fragrant. Add 1/4 cup water along with the peas, and cook covered, on low heat, until the carrot is tender, about 8 minutes, then turn off the heat, and set aside until you're ready to eat.
- Finish the mafe: In a large bowl, gradually add a little hot liquid from the lamb to the peanut butter, mixing it with more and more liquid until it's thick, smooth and pourable. Return it all to the pot with the meat, and mix well. Add the okra, Scotch bonnet and fish sauce, and simmer gently, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or so, stirring frequently to avoid clumps of peanut butter at the bottom of the pot, until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon and a little bit of fat has pooled at the top.
- Cook the fonio: In a pot with a tightly fitted lid, bring 2 cups of salted water to a boil, add the fonio, stir, cover and turn off the heat. After 5 minutes, remove the lid and fluff with a fork. Fold fonio into the shallots and peas, season and taste. To serve, pile bowls with fonio, top with lamb and generously sprinkle over the parsley.
Tips:
- Mise en Place: Before you start cooking, make sure you have all the ingredients and equipment you need. This will help you stay organized and avoid scrambling during the cooking process.
- Use Fresh Ingredients: Whenever possible, use fresh ingredients for the best flavor. This includes using fresh herbs, vegetables, and fruits.
- Follow the Recipe Carefully: Especially if you're a beginner, it's important to follow the recipe carefully. This will help you avoid mistakes and ensure that your dish turns out well.
- Don't Be Afraid to Experiment: Once you're comfortable with the basics, feel free to experiment with different ingredients and flavors. This is a great way to create your own unique dishes.
- Have Fun: Cooking should be enjoyable, so relax and have fun with it. The more you enjoy the process, the more likely you are to create delicious food.
Conclusion:
Tom's Maffe is a hearty, flavorful dish that is perfect for a cold winter night. It's also a great way to use up leftover vegetables. With a few simple tips, you can easily make this dish at home. So next time you're looking for a comforting and satisfying meal, give Tom's Maffe a try. You won't be disappointed!
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