Riz sauce arachide — family-style Niger adaptation
White rice served with a smooth peanut-paste sauce, chicken and vegetables; a West African home adaptation, not claimed as uniquely Nigerien.
Ingredients
- 300 g long-grain rice
- 600 g chicken pieces, skin removed if desired
- 180 g pure, unsweetened peanut paste
- 2 ripe tomatoes (about 300 g), chopped
- 1 onion (about 150 g), finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed, and 15 g fresh grated ginger
- 1 carrot (about 120 g), sliced
- 150 g spinach or washed leafy greens
- 20 ml vegetable oil
- 800 ml hot water or lightly salted stock
- 4 g salt to start, black pepper and optional chili
- Optional 1 lime to balance the sauce
Preparation
Rinse the rice. Cook it separately in lightly salted water according to the package, then rest covered and keep warm.
Whisk the peanut paste with 250 ml hot water, adding the water gradually until smooth. Do not add the thick paste directly to the pot.
Heat the oil in a saucepan. Brown the chicken in small batches and set it aside. Cook the onion in the same pan for 4–5 minutes.
Add garlic, ginger and tomatoes. Cook for 8 minutes to reduce the tomato. Return the chicken with 300 ml water or stock; cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Pour in the thinned peanut mixture while stirring. Add the carrot and enough hot water for a thick but flowing sauce. Bring to a simmer.
Cook gently for 20–25 minutes, stirring the bottom often, until the chicken reaches 74°C at the center and the sauce no longer tastes raw. Add hot water if it becomes too thick.
Add leafy greens for the final 5 minutes. Season gradually, taste, and offer lime or chili separately.
Serve rice in bowls and spoon over the sauce, chicken and vegetables. Do not mix the whole pot; diners can choose how much sauce they want.