West African-Style Chicken Peanut Maafe
over Fluffy Rice
Cooking time
20 minutes
Servings
2/4
Calories
930 /serving
The easiest stew in the world to warm up to. Deep with sunbaked spices, buttery with peanuts and silky with coconut milk, this ultra-fortifying favourite of Mali, Senegal and the Gambia is pure velvet on the tongue. Tender chicken and carrots bathe in a delightfully rich sauce, while leafy greens, added at the last minute, wilt and sidle into a base of long-grain rice. Squeeze on some citrus and you’ve got a whole continent of pleasure in just 20 minutes of cooking.
We will send you:
- 4 Chicken thighs (or 2 chicken breasts; or 4 bone-in chicken thighs; or 2 bone-in chicken legs; or 6 chicken drumsticks)
- 120g Baby spinach (or baby kale)
- 15ml Minced garlic
- 1 Lime (or lemon)
- 25g Diced onions
- 100g Diced carrots
- 165g White rice
- 75ml Tomato paste
- 165ml Coconut milk
- 25g Peanuts
- 30g Peanut butter
- 9.5g Dinner in Dakar spice blend (paprika, salt, cumin, fenugreek, cardamom, black pepper, allspice, turmeric, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, ajowan, ginger, kosher salt)
Contains: Peanuts
You will need:
Medium pot
Large high-sided pan
Oil
Salt & pepper
Total Fat
39 g
Saturated Fat
15 g
Sodium
340 mg
Total Carbs
98 g
Sugars
10 g
Protein
52 g
Fibres
11 g
Preparation
Cook the rice
In a medium pot, combine the rice, 1 ¼ cups water (double for 4 portions) and a big pinch of salt; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer, 17 to 20 minutes, until the rice is tender and the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff the cooked rice with a fork and set aside in a warm spot.
Start the chicken peanut maafe
While the rice cooks, in a large, high-sided pan, heat a drizzle of oil on medium-high. Pat the chicken dry with paper towel; season with ½ the spice blend and S&P. Add the chicken thighs to the pan and cook, partially covered, 2 to 3 min. per side, until browned (if you received a different cut of chicken, find your alternate cooking method at www.makegoodfood.ca/chicken, cooking half the time indicated and cooking through in the next step). Transfer to a plate, leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan. Add the onions, garlic and carrots. Sauté, stirring frequently, 3 to 4 min., scaping any fond from the bottom of the pan, until the carrots have softened slightly; season with the remaining spice blend.
Finish the chicken peanut maafe
To the pan of vegetables, add the tomato paste and ⅔ of the peanuts. Cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 3 minutes, until the tomato paste turns dark red. Add the peanut butter, coconut milk and ⅓ cup water (double for 4 portions); stir to combine. Return the chicken* to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes, until the flavours have combined and the chicken is cooked through; season with S&P to taste.
Finish & serve
Quarter the lime. To the pan of peanut maafe, add the spinach and the juice of up to 2 lime wedges (to taste; double for 4 portions). Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, until wilted; season with S&P to taste. Divide the rice between your plates. Top with the chicken peanut maafe, and garnish with the remaining peanuts and lime wedges. Bon appétit!
*Health Canada recommends cooking poultry to a minimum internal temperature of 74°C.
