Mafe Senegalese Beef Stew with Peanut Sauce

Mafé is a Senegalese beef stew built around tender meat, vegetables, tomatoes, and a rich peanut sauce, usually served with rice. Its balance of savory broth, mellow peanut flavor, and gentle chile makes a satisfying one-pot meal, and recipes vary between households and regions.

Ingredients

1½ lb boneless beef chuck, cut into 1½-inch cubes (680 g)
1 tsp fine salt (5 g), plus more to taste
½ tsp black pepper (1 g)
2 tbsp neutral oil, such as canola (30 ml)
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1½ cups or 225 g)
3 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tbsp or 9 g)
1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger (6 g)
2 tbsp tomato paste (32 g)
1 cup crushed tomatoes (240 ml)
4 cups low-sodium beef stock or water (950 ml)
½ cup smooth, unsweetened peanut butter (about 128 g)
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1½-inch chunks (about 350 g)
2 medium carrots, cut into thick coins (about 200 g)
1 medium Yukon Gold or other waxy potato, cut into chunks (about 250 g)
1 small green cabbage, cut into 6 wedges (about 500 g)
1 bay leaf (optional)
1 small hot chile, left whole or pierced once (optional)
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or cilantro, for serving (about 8 g)
Cooked white rice, for serving (about 4½ cups cooked or 700 g)

Instructions

Prepare the beef and vegetables. Pat the beef dry, then season it with the salt and black pepper. Chop the onion, garlic, and ginger, and cut the sweet potato, carrot, potato, and cabbage as listed. Keeping the vegetable pieces fairly large helps them hold their shape during the long simmer. Set the cabbage aside for now; it cooks more quickly than the root vegetables.
Brown the beef, 10 minutes. Heat the oil in a heavy Dutch oven or large, sturdy pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches so the pieces have room, brown the beef on two or three sides, about 2–3 minutes per batch. Transfer browned pieces to a plate. A deep brown crust adds flavor to the sauce; if the pot gets crowded, the meat will steam instead, so take the extra batch rather than piling it in.
Build the tomato base, 7 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion to the same pot and cook for 4 minutes, stirring and scraping up the browned bits. Stir in the garlic and ginger for 1 minute, then add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring until it darkens slightly. Add the crushed tomatoes and stir to loosen anything stuck to the bottom.
Simmer the beef, 45 minutes. Return the beef and any juices on the plate to the pot. Pour in the stock or water, add the bay leaf and whole chile if using, and bring the liquid just to a boil. Lower the heat, cover with the lid slightly ajar, and maintain a gentle simmer for 45 minutes. Check occasionally: you want small bubbles, not a vigorous boil. If the liquid is reducing too quickly, add a splash of water.
Add the root vegetables, 25 minutes. Stir in the sweet potato, carrots, and potato. Cover partially and simmer for about 15 minutes, then add the cabbage wedges and continue for about 10 minutes. The vegetables should be tender when pierced but not falling apart. Turn the wedges carefully with a spoon if they are not partly submerged, and add a little water if the sauce has become thicker than you like.
Blend in the peanut butter, 8 minutes. Spoon about 1 cup of hot cooking liquid into a bowl and whisk it with the peanut butter until smooth; this prevents dense clumps. Stir the mixture back into the pot and simmer gently, uncovered, for 8 minutes, stirring often so the peanut sauce does not catch on the bottom. Remove the bay leaf and chile. Check a large beef cube with a food thermometer: USDA FSIS lists 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest as the safe minimum for whole cuts of beef; simmering until chuck is fork-tender takes it beyond that temperature. Turn off the heat and let the stew stand for 3 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
Serve. Spoon the stew and plenty of peanut sauce over warm rice. Scatter parsley or cilantro on top if you like. Offer the chile separately if you want diners to control the heat.

Tips

Choose the right peanut butter. Smooth, unsweetened peanut butter gives a sauce closest in flavor to ground peanut paste. If the jar has separated, stir it thoroughly before measuring. Sweetened or highly salted varieties can make the finished stew taste unexpectedly sweet or salty, so reduce added salt and taste as you go if that is all you have.
Brown in batches. Good browning makes the broth taste fuller, but the beef should have clear space around each piece. If the bottom begins to darken too much, lower the heat; brown fond is useful, while blackened bits can make the sauce bitter.
Keep the simmer gentle. A hard boil can toughen the beef and break the vegetables apart before the meat is tender. If chuck is still chewy after the listed simmer, keep cooking it gently in 10-minute increments, adding water as needed. The timing can vary with the size of the cubes and the cut of beef.
Adjust thickness at the end. Peanut butter thickens the sauce as it simmers and again as it cools. Stir in hot water or stock a little at a time if it is too thick; if it seems thin, simmer uncovered for a few extra minutes before serving.

Serving Suggestions

Serve mafe over plain steamed white rice, which absorbs the tomato-peanut sauce without competing with its flavor. If you prefer a whole-grain option, brown rice works, though its firmer texture and longer cooking time make the meal feel heartier. Couscous is another practical accompaniment, but it is not the traditional rice pairing. Put extra sauce over each serving and include a mix of beef, cabbage, and root vegetables in every bowl.

A simple side of sliced cucumber, tomato, or lightly dressed greens gives the table a fresh contrast to the stew. Keep the side lightly seasoned so it does not overwhelm the sauce. The chile can remain whole in the pot for a mild background warmth, or be omitted and replaced with a small dish of hot sauce for guests who want more heat.

Variations

There is no single household formula for mafe. Some versions use different vegetables, a thinner broth, or a stronger chile presence. This recipe uses sweet potato, carrot, potato, and cabbage because they are widely available and hold up well in a stew; you can swap in peeled cassava or turnip if you enjoy their firmer, earthier character. Add cassava early enough to become tender, and cut it into pieces similar in size to the potato.

For a more traditional ground-nut texture, replace the peanut butter with an equal weight of unsweetened, finely ground roasted peanuts or peanut paste. The sauce may be grainier and can need extra stirring. If peanut paste is hard to find, the smooth peanut butter in the ingredient list is a convenient substitute; avoid sweetened spread. A tablespoon of red palm oil can replace some or all of the neutral oil for a more distinctive, earthy flavor, though it will change the stew’s color and aroma.

You can make the stew with bone-in beef, but allow extra simmering time and remove the bones before serving. For a different protein, use lamb or goat pieces of similar size and simmer until tender. A meatless variation can use chickpeas and extra vegetables; add drained cooked chickpeas with the root vegetables, since they do not need the long initial simmer. Whichever variation you choose, keep the peanut sauce gentle at the end and taste for salt only after it has reduced.

Storage and Reheating

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate them within 2 hours of cooking. Store the stew in a covered, shallow container for 3–4 days; keep rice in a separate container so it does not absorb all the sauce. The peanut sauce thickens in the refrigerator, which is normal. For longer storage, freeze the stew in airtight, freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. The vegetables may soften after thawing, but the flavor remains useful for a quick meal.

Thaw frozen portions overnight in the refrigerator when possible. Reheat the stew in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring regularly and adding a little water or stock to loosen the sauce. Heat until steaming throughout and confirm leftovers reach 165°F (74°C) with a food thermometer. Reheat only the portion you plan to eat, and do not leave the pot at room temperature for extended periods.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does mafe taste like? Mafe is savory, gently sweet from its vegetables, and rich from the peanut sauce, with a tomato tang that keeps the sauce from tasting heavy. The peanut flavor is noticeable but should not taste like dessert. Chile adds warmth when used, but the stew can be made mild by leaving it out.

Can I make mafe ahead? Yes. The stew can be cooked a day ahead and refrigerated once cooled. Its flavor settles overnight, while the sauce firms up; reheat it gently with a splash of water or stock and check the seasoning again. If you want the cabbage to retain more structure, cook it just until tender and add it during reheating.

Can I make this recipe without peanut butter? Peanut butter is central to this style of stew, so omitting it changes the dish substantially. If you need to avoid peanuts, use a smooth, unsweetened sunflower seed butter as a practical alternative, starting with slightly less and adjusting to taste. It will have a different, seed-forward flavor, and you should check the product label for added sugar and salt.

Why is my peanut sauce lumpy or oily? Peanut butter can clump when it meets a large amount of hot liquid at once, so whisking it first with a cup of broth makes a smooth paste. A thin layer of oil can also separate if the stew boils hard. Lower the heat and stir gently; the sauce usually comes together as it simmers. Avoid adding cold peanut butter directly to the pot.

How do I know when the beef is tender? A fork should slide into a cube with little resistance, and the meat should be easy to bite without feeling rubbery. Beef can meet the safe temperature well before chuck becomes pleasantly tender, so do not use temperature alone to decide when the braise is finished. If it is still chewy, give it more gentle simmering time and keep enough liquid in the pot.

Can I cook mafe in a slow cooker? You can, though browning the beef and cooking the onion, aromatics, and tomato paste in a skillet first will give the stew a deeper base. Transfer those ingredients with the stock and beef to the slow cooker and cook until the meat is tender, then add the vegetables according to how quickly they cook. Whisk the peanut butter with hot cooking liquid and stir it in near the end; slow-cooker times vary, so use tenderness rather than a fixed clock as your guide.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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