Mari bi mafé

Nigerien chicken soup flavored with soumbala (mari bi), with onion, tomato, garlic, and ginger, presented as a soumbala chicken soup in the book Trésor culinaire du Niger.

Ingredients

• 1 chicken weighing 1.3 to 1.5 kg, preferably local chicken, cut into 10 to 12 pieces
• 2 tablespoons soumbala (mari bi), about 20 g
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 2 ripe tomatoes, crushed
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 piece fresh ginger, 3 cm
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 to 2 whole fresh chilies (optional)
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1.5 L water
• Salt to adjust at the end of cooking
• 1 lime for serving (optional)

Preparation

Remove excess skin and fat from the chicken. Pat the pieces dry with paper towels, without rinsing them, to limit the spread of bacteria in the kitchen.

Pound garlic, ginger, pepper, and soumbala in a mortar until a coarse paste is obtained.

Heat oil in a large pot. Sauté onions for 5 minutes, then add chicken and sear for 5 minutes, turning it.

Add the aromatic paste and stir for 2 minutes over medium heat, without letting it burn.

Add tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, until they begin to break down.

Pour in 1.5 L of water and add the whole chilies. Bring to a boil, skim, then partially cover and simmer for 40 to 45 minutes (60 minutes or more for a firmer local chicken).

Check for doneness: the meat should easily detach from the bone and the juice should be clear. Taste, then salt only at this point, as soumbala is already salted. Remove chilies for a milder soup.

Serve very hot in bowls, with plenty of broth, a lime wedge, and bread, rice, or millet paste.