Mafée Recipe

The first time I had mafée I was 11 years old. It was my first time in Ottawa visiting my Dad's new house, my first time meeting two of my cousins and only my second time meeting my grandmother. I watched my grandmother teach this recipe to my step mom and I remember being in awe watching my over 60 year old grandmother in her element: teaching, cooking, speaking in french so fast I had no idea what she was saying. At the time I was just shocked by what was happening but I didn't understand the importance of passing down Sénégalise culture to my step mom, so she could pass it to her kids (and me). 

Fast forward 12 years. My step mom asks if I want to help her make mafée. I can see my grandmother in my minds eye. Of course I say yes, and I write down the recipe. Since then I have made this recipe twice, both times successful, both slightly different. I have fed it to others, who have loved it and so I thought I should share this very healthy, very flavourful recipe with you. It is gluten free and can be made vegetarian very easily. 

In the photos for this recipe I did not use cabbage and I chose beef instead of chicken and scotch bonnet instead of habanero!

Ingredients:

Oil

Onion

Garlic

1 tbs Tomato paste

3-4 cups of water

1 cup peanut butter

Stewing beef OR Chicken drumsticks

1 large sweet potato cut in centimetre thick slices

2-3 large carrots, cut in centimetre size slices

A handful of baby okra

1 bay leaf

Cabbage, shredded so you have about a handful

1-2 magi cubes (found at a local ethnic food store)

1 Habanero or Scotch Bonnet Pepper

Start by frying the onion and garlic in oil with your beef or chicken until it's brown all over and half way cooked.

Add the water, tomato paste, bay leaf magi cubes, habanero or scotch bonnet (DO NOT LET THE PEPPER EXPLODE), carrot and cabbage pieces. Allow to stew for half an hour.

After thirty minutes add peanut butter, sweet potato slices and the baby okra. 

After twenty minutes check how cooked your sweet potato pieces are. If soft all the way through, you're finished!

I serve this dish with rice!

I hope some of you take the time to recreate this flavourful Sénégalise dish. If you can't find Magi Cubes wherever you are in the world, it would still be good without, but I'd probably add some salt as I find that's the main Magi Cube flavour.

XOXO,

Cropberry