Senegalese/West African Chicken Stew in the Instant Pot (Poulet Mafe)

Sharing is caring!

SENEGALESE/WEST AFRICAN CHICKEN STEW IN INSTANT POT (POULET MAFE)

I love Africa. I have been to East Africa (Kenya/Tanzania) and North Africa (Morocco) but it’s a continent that I want to keep going back to. This spring, we are heading to South Africa for 2 weeks and I cannot wait to get there.

Take your own trip to Africa with this delicious recipe. It involves a few steps but is not difficult to make. Let the Instant Pot do all the work!

This is a classic Senegalese and West African stew which is made with a sauce of tomatoes and peanuts with any kind of meat: beef, lamb or chicken. I came across the recipe in ‘Food and Wine’ magazine and made a few changes as well as adapted it for the Instant Pot.

As I stated in my last few posts, I am getting really comfortable using the Instant Pot and now use it quite often. I have been adapting many recipes to cook in it. Other than the microwave, it is probably the most used appliance in our kitchen right now. It’s easy to use and fast and clean up is a breeze. I would highly recommend buying one if you don’t have one yet.

I used boneless and skinless chicken breasts (for a healthier version), but the original recipe called for thighs and drumsticks and you can definitely use them instead. Peanut butter is a quick and easy substitute instead of making a peanut paste.

If you do not have the Instant Pot, you can use a heavy bottom large Dutch oven and cook the last part for 30-35 minutes (instead of the 20 minutes in the Instant Pot).

The flavors of this dish are unique and serve it with white rice and pair it with a white wine – a dry Riesling or Viognier would go well here.

Ingredients:

2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-3” pieces (or chicken thighs and drumsticks)

3-4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1” fresh ginger, chopped or paste

½ tsp Kosher salt

1 tsp black peppercorns

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped

1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste 

¼ cup Fish sauce

7 cups chicken stock or water

1 cup creamy peanut butter

½ small green cabbage, cut into 1-2” wedges

2-3 medium carrots, cut into 1-2” pieces

2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, skin on, chopped into 1-2” pieces

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-2” pieces

Kosher salt to taste

2 Jalapeno peppers, sliced

(If you like it spicy use Habanero or Scotch Bonnet peppers instead)

Method:

In a mortar and pestle, grind the garlic, ginger, salt and peppercorns into a paste. (You can use a blender if you want).

Rub the garlic mix all over the chicken pieces and cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight.

Turn the Instant Pot (IP) to ‘Saute’ mode on high.

Heat the vegetable oil.

When hot, add the onions and fry stirring frequently till translucent, 3-4 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and fish sauce and saute for 7-8 minutes till the mix is caramelized to a dark brown color. Keep scraping the bottom of the pot.

Add the chicken pieces and fry, turning every 1-2 minutes till browned all over.

Add the chicken stock or water and bring to a boil (you will have to cover the IP to hasten the process).

Place the peanut butter in a large bowl, add the liquid from the boiling pot,                                 ¼ cup at a time and mix, till a thick sauce is formed.

Add the peanut sauce to the pot and stir to mix.

Once boiling, turn off the ‘Saute’ mode and switch to ‘Slow Cooker’ on high and cook covered for 20 minutes.

Open the cover and add the cabbage and carrots, cover and cook for another 10 minutes.

Open the cover, add the potatoes and sweet potatoes, switch to ‘Pressure Cook’ mode on high, close the lid and cook for 20 minutes.

Release the pressure as soon as the cooking is done.

Add the Jalapeno slices and mix, taste and adjust the salt as needed.

Serve warm with white rice.