African Cooking: Peanut Sauce

One of our favorite dishes is a peanut sauce. In Western Africa, it may be referred to as sauce arachide, mafe, or in my husband's country: azindessi.

Peanuts are a common ingredient worldwide but the peanut sauces are so different depending on the locale. When comparing Asian and African variations, there are completely different and delicious in their own way.

This was the first African dish I learned to make a few years ago, before I even met my husband. It is an African tradition to take food to someone who is sick, lost a loved one, or had a baby. My friend from Congo was having a baby, so I decided to try out my mad African cooking skills and take it as an offering to her.

I took it to her home along with rice. Because of the occasion, many people were congregating there to celebrate her new baby. My recipe was going under more scrutiny than I had initially thought.

Watching nervously, I observed the African family members mix the sauce with rice, taste, and let the flavor linger for a moment before swallowing. They nodded with approval and began to ask me questions.

Who made this sauce for you? Where did you get this sauce?  

Confessing that I made it myself caused a flood of intrigue and consequently, more questions.

How did you hear about this kind of sauce? Who taught you how to make it?

I explained my interest in all things African which led to a desire to learn African cooking. They dubbed me an honorary African that day. 

It was a triumph! I was so proud of myself and then I was told that this dish is so easy that even the African men know how to do it. It was still an accomplishment for me.

From that point, whenever I attended my friend's family events, she would introduce me as one of their own to the amazement of my newly presented acquaintance. As time went on and I attended more gatherings, I became a permanent fixture that the regulars expected to be in attendance and was truly accepted as part of the African community. 

After meeting my husband, I soon discovered that this was my husband's favorite sauce, preferably served with fufu. 

Whilst I'm still making efforts to master other African dishes, I had already nailed my husband's favorite!

Here is the vegetarian recipe:

• Pour vegetable, canola or olive oil in a stock pot, enough to cover the bottom. Add a few spoonfuls of tomato paste and mix with the oil. 
• On medium heat, add chopped onions, tomatoes, carrots (any vegetables desired) and mix well with the tomato mixture. 
• Add a few cups of water and a chicken bouillon cube. Cook at medium high heat for 30 minutes or so. 
• Reduce heat to medium low and let simmer. 
• When the mixture coats the spoon, it's thick enough to serve. 
• Serve over rice or fufu. 

For a beef or chicken variation, add the meat with the oil and cook until mostly cooked on the outside. Set the meat aside and do the rest of the recipe. Put the meat back in the pot at the same time as adding water.