Beef maffé

🥜 Beef slowly simmered in a smooth peanut, tomato and vegetable sauce, served with rice or millet.

Ingredients

• 🥩 700 g stewing beef, cut into 3 cm cubes
• 🥜 180 g plain peanut paste, with no added sugar
• 🍅 3 ripe tomatoes, grated, and 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 🧅 2 medium onions, chopped
• 🧄 3 crushed garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 🥕 2 carrots cut into chunks and 1 small aubergine cut into cubes
• 🫗 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 💧 1.2 l hot water or low-salt stock
• 🌿 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, ½ teaspoon cumin and black pepper
• 🧂 1 teaspoon salt, adjusted at the end
• 🌶️ Fresh chili, optional; rice, millet or fonio to serve

Preparation

Prepare the vegetables and whisk the peanut paste into 300 ml lukewarm water until smooth. Keep the beef cold until ready to sear; pat the cubes dry with clean paper.

Heat the oil in a heavy pot. Cook the onions over medium heat for 6–8 min until translucent, then add garlic and ginger for 30 seconds.

Add the beef in one layer if possible and brown for 5–7 min, turning the cubes. Work in two batches if the pot is crowded; piled meat releases water instead of browning.

Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, paprika, cumin and pepper. Cook for 8–10 min, stirring, until the raw tomato smell fades and the bottom of the pot is no longer watery.

Pour in the remaining hot water and the peanut cream. Stir thoroughly, bring to a gentle simmer and partially cover. Simmer over low heat for 70–80 min, stirring the bottom every 10 min so the peanut sauce does not catch.

Add the carrots and aubergine; cook for another 20–25 min until the beef is fork-tender and the vegetables are soft. If the sauce thickens before the meat is tender, add 100 ml hot water.

Taste and adjust salt only at the end. Skim excess surface oil if desired, add a whole chili or leave it on the side, then serve hot with rice, millet or fonio.