What is Maafe?
Maafe is an African dish and the name means “peanut butter sauce.” It’s also known as groundnut stew. Â Many varieties dot the continent.
It originated in West and Central Africa. Â Some versions have even been found in on the Southeastern Seaboard of the US. Â Most assume the recipe traveled here during the slave era.
I have tried several versions of this recipe and have finally settled on this one as my favorite maafe recipes.
Most recipes include meats like chicken or lamb. Â This vegetarian version contains tofu, and I’ve lightened it by using PBFit powdered peanut butter instead of peanut butter spread.
Why PBFit?
I love PBFit because it’s all natural, non-GMO, and contains 85% less fat than traditional peanut butter.  The best part? PBFit has just 55 calories per 2 TBSP serving, making it the perfect way to moderate the calorie count this otherwise calorie-laden dish.
Feel free to substitute 2 TBSP of traditional nut butter or your favorite powdered peanut butter. Â This blog article isn’t a sponsored post. Â PBFit is just one of my favorite weapons in my arsenal to lighten recipes, like this groundnut stew (Maafe).
To make prep faster, I use one package of pre-cubed tofu. Nasoya makes a good organic version.
Variations: Tofu isn’t your thing? Substitute a can of rinsed kidney beans. Â You can also add in 4 oz of baby carrots to the potatoes and turnips. Â Maafe’s strength lies in its versatility. Â Substitute your favorite root vegetables and proteins. Â Hint: it freezes well. Â Double the batch and freeze the rest for another night.
Vegetarian African Maafe (Groundnut Stew)
Yields: 4 servings |
Colorful and delicious. Don’t be fooled, African Maafe (Groundnut Stew) is high in protein and packed with nutrients.
- 1 8oz package tofu
- 1 TBSP Cornstarch
- 1/4 cup Peanuts, chopped
- 3/4 lb sweet Potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 2 small Turnips, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 red Bell peppers, chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 tsp Ginger, grated
- 1/2 cup PBFit, prepared (sub traditional peanut butter)
- 2 TBSP Tomato paste
- 2 cup vegetable broth
- 1/2 tsp Aleppo Pepper (sub red pepper flakes)
- 3 TBSP Cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 lime juice
- 1 cup couscous, prepared (4 servings)
Press liquid from tofu (layer between two paper towels and set something heavy on it) and let drain about 30 minutes. Cut into cubes. Toss with cornstarch and season with salt and pepper.
Chop peanuts.
Stir together prepared PBFit, tomato paste, vegetable broth, ginger and Aleppo pepper.
Place sweet potatoes and turnips into a microwave-safe pan or bowl. Cover with wet paper towel and microwave on high until sweet potatoes are tender, ~3 minutes. (Turnips should still have a bit of crunch.) Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and spray pan with cooking oil. When oil is hot, saute tofu until golden brown, ~5 minutes total.
Set tofu aside and keep warm. Return the pan to the burner and reduce heat to medium. Spray pan with cooking spray
Saute bell peppers and garlic about 1 minute. Add sweet potatoes, turnips and peanut sauce and bring to a simmer. Sauce will start to thicken in about 2 to 3 minutes. Add tofu and stir to coat. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes more so tofu can absorb flavors. Season with salt and pepper. Top with lime juice, cilantro and chopped peanuts.
Stir couscous into stew. Divide into four bowls and serve.
Nutrition
- Calories: 490
- Fat: 13 grams
Alicia Taylor
We enjoy hosting parties and my husband and I are both avid gamers. You can find me on PS4 as SunshineFlaGirl. We also play tabletop RPGs and eurogames.
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53 Comments
michelleferrand
November 16, 2016 - 12:16 amAll of these flavors sound so great together! Peanuts and sweet potatoes especially!
Erin
November 13, 2016 - 7:23 pmI keep meaning to try a dish like this. I think my husband would love it.
kimchichick
November 12, 2016 - 6:22 amWow! I have never tried African food before and this really looks delicious! Also, never thought to add PB to a stew, but it sounds lovely. Thanks for the great inspiration and idea!
The Movement Menu | Monica
November 8, 2016 - 3:22 pmI’ve never really tried African food, and now I want to… badly! Thanks for the delicious inspiration 🙂
Alicia Taylor
November 10, 2016 - 12:27 pmYou are very welcome! If you like it, be sure to come back and let me know.
Daniela
November 8, 2016 - 2:26 pmLooks wonderful! 🙂
Six Ingredient Swaps that Slash Calories • TaylorLife
September 14, 2016 - 12:15 am[…] PB&J, PBfit makes an excellent substitute for peanut butter in peanut sauces in dishes like my African Maafe Stew. Â This lower-calorie ingredient swap changes the […]
Adriana
February 29, 2016 - 2:02 pmThis looks really, really good! I’ve never heard of this but I would love to try it sometime!
Alicia Taylor
February 29, 2016 - 5:44 pmLet me know if you do!
Mama to 5 Blessings
February 26, 2016 - 12:33 pmLooks like a great recipe! What a nice healthy dish, I need to try to make this for my family.
Laura Funk
February 26, 2016 - 9:57 amI have never heard of this but it looks really really yummy. I love that it is called Peanut Butter sauce
Keikilani
February 26, 2016 - 7:09 amThis sounds super good. I can’t eat nuts, but I bet my sister would really love this recipe. Passing it on.
Crystal
February 26, 2016 - 7:00 amI’ve never heard of this kind of stew before but that is a beautiful dish! I may have to try it with chicken while it’s still kind of cool out.
karlyn flores
February 26, 2016 - 2:02 amYesterday I was finding for a new recipe and great you share this now, I can’t wait to try this on weekends.
laura
February 25, 2016 - 11:41 pmthis is quite interesting it sounds like – have never had it but bet it is definitely tasty
Carol Bryant
February 25, 2016 - 10:52 pmThis sounds good. Is it very spicy I’d like to try it out at home.
Alicia Taylor
February 26, 2016 - 12:34 amNot at all. It’s quite savorty and tasty. If you want spicy, try some Sriracha
Janeane Davis
February 25, 2016 - 8:05 pmI am not familiar with this dish. It sounds interesting and I would like to share it with my children.
Chelley @ A is for Adelaide
February 25, 2016 - 7:37 pmThis sounds so good! I do not use tofu, but I’m sure I can make a substitution!
Alicia Taylor
February 25, 2016 - 7:40 pmSure – you can substitute chicken if you aren’t a vegetarian. It’s how it is traditionally made
Erin
February 25, 2016 - 7:30 pmWe are big peanut butter fans in our house so we will have to give this a try. We have used PBfit before and liked it!
Alicia Taylor
February 25, 2016 - 7:41 pmIt makes an easy and slimmed down pb sauce
Censie
February 25, 2016 - 4:38 pmOh this looks so good. I think my whole family would enjoy it. adding it to our meal plan for next week!
Angela
February 25, 2016 - 4:16 pmI have had Indian food with a peanut sauce and absolutely love it, but have never had an African dish like this. I have no doubt I would like this meal a lot.
Alicia Taylor
February 25, 2016 - 7:42 pmI have had thai food with peanut sauce – but never Indian food. That would be an interesting combo.
Ashley Sparks Mullins
February 25, 2016 - 3:30 pmI will be passing this on to my mom. She has now become vegetarian. Sounds very good!
Alicia Taylor
February 25, 2016 - 7:43 pmIt’s delicious! Hope she enjoys it. The key to loving vegetarian is variety.
Crystal
February 25, 2016 - 3:23 pmI am a vegetarian, but the rest of my family isn’t. I love meatless dishes that will appeal to all of us. Cooking one meal is so much easier!
Alicia Taylor
February 25, 2016 - 7:43 pmThat’s the same way I am. Thankfully, my husband is veg-friendly. I’m actually Pescatarian, though. I just started eating fish about 4 months ago.
Debbie
February 25, 2016 - 2:45 pmSeems that I have heard of this. I think it looks really good. The nuts are a great ingredient.
maria @ closetohome
February 25, 2016 - 11:37 amI really like peanut sauce so I will have to give this a chance. Are family is very open to new types of foods.
Alicia Taylor
February 25, 2016 - 12:16 pmIt’s delicious. Definitely try it!
Rosey
February 25, 2016 - 11:04 amI like the idea of trying the tofu. I’d like to make something like this for my sister-in-law.
Alicia Taylor
February 25, 2016 - 12:16 pmTofu takes a little practice, but it’s worth the effort when done right.
Lory
February 25, 2016 - 10:29 amThanks for sharing. I am not a fan of tofu, so i like the idea of adding kidney beans. I have never tried a recipe with peanut butter. It’s always nice to try something new.
Alicia Taylor
February 25, 2016 - 12:17 pmI am not usually. It has to be fixed just right. If you aren’t a vegetarian, you can substitute chicken.
Heather Johnson
February 25, 2016 - 10:27 amI had never heard of any recipe quite like this groundnut stew. My kiddos would probably love anything with peanut butter sauce.
Alicia Taylor
February 25, 2016 - 12:17 pmIt’s a great way to sneak in some healthy food on them!
Shirley Wood
February 25, 2016 - 10:01 amI like recipes with sweet potatoes in them. The combination of different ingredients is interesting across cultures. I’d never have thought to mix turnip greens with sweet potatoes but I would serve them together.
Alicia Taylor
February 25, 2016 - 12:18 pmIt’s a pretty good combination. I love the crunch.
Maggiethefrugalmomma@gmail.com
February 25, 2016 - 9:40 amThat really sounds yummy! Those are all things we would eat so I’m sure the kids would love it! Thanks for sharing!
Amber N
February 25, 2016 - 8:56 pmI think my kids might actually like this too. I’m going to try!
Alicia Taylor
February 25, 2016 - 10:18 pmAmber – if you try it, be sure to come back and let me know how you liked it
rebecca
February 25, 2016 - 9:32 amYum!! this sound delicious. I do like
a good stew on
cool days.
Alicia Taylor
February 25, 2016 - 12:19 pmMe too – tis the season.
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy
February 25, 2016 - 9:04 amI love the sounds of this stew…and I love peanuts. The spices would make the house smell so good.
Alicia Taylor
February 25, 2016 - 9:08 amThe smell just permeates the air. I could smell it outside. I think that’s part of the appeal
monica
February 25, 2016 - 7:49 amI’ve been looking for some low cal options for lunches and this looks amazing! I work from home and having healthy and flavorful lunches ready keep me from snacking. Thanks!
Alicia Taylor
February 25, 2016 - 9:09 amIt’s usually just David and I, so we have leftovers frequently. He works from home, too – and we eat leftovers for lunch. This is one of those dishes that tastes better the next day.
robin masshole mommy
February 25, 2016 - 6:42 amI have never had anything like this. Wow, it sounds delicious.
Michele
February 25, 2016 - 3:21 amThat does sound tasty but the carb count is way out there-especially for a diabetic. I might try to tweak it to see if I could get it down. Thank you for the substitute for tofu!!
Alicia Taylor
February 25, 2016 - 9:12 amThe carbs are a bit high and it’s probably from the sweet potatoes – which are a bit high on the glycemic index. Feel free to substitute your favorite veggies. This dish is so versatile.
Alicia
February 25, 2016 - 9:27 amAlso, some of the carb count is the couscous. You could leave that off and really knock out the carbs. It’s delicious without the couscouse.