Malian goulash with peanut butter

The Malian goulash "Maafe" with peanut butter smells deliciously of cumin and cinnamon. Depending on the region of Africa, the vegetables and liquid used in this traditional dish vary.

The preparation time indicated does not include cooking the chickpeas. The time refers to using canned chickpeas or previously pre-cooked chickpeas.

Nutrient profile: According to GDA guidelines, one portion of this recipe covers more than 85% of the daily requirement of vitamin K and 75% of the daily requirement of manganese, which plays a role in the formation of cartilage tissue. The essential amino acids tryptophan, threonine and isoleucine as well as vitamin A and folic acid are covered by almost 50%. The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids is 6:1, just above the recommended maximum ratio of 5:1.

Chickpeas: Chickpeas are very high in protein, with an average of 20 g of protein per 100 g, and are therefore a good addition to vegetables. Chickpeas (like many pulses) are usually available in dried or pre-cooked and preserved form. While the preserved version is of course more convenient and saves time, the dried version, which you have to cook yourself, has the advantage of tasting much better.

Sweet potatoes: Sweet potatoes, also called sweet potatoes, are not actually potatoes. Although they grow as tubers in the ground, they are not part of the nightshade family. The tubers have a high water content and cannot be stored as long as conventional potatoes, but their shelf life can be increased by careful handling, such as avoiding bruising.

Cumin: Due to the similar name, there is often confusion between cumin and caraway. However, they are not closely related and also differ greatly in taste.

Coriander seeds: Coriander seeds are spherical and have a bitter-spicy to sweet aroma. Ground coriander does not keep for long due to the high essential oil content.

Fennel seeds: Fennel seeds contain essential oils. These include anethole, fenchone and estragole. Anethole soothes the stomach and has an antispasmodic effect. It is also mainly responsible for the typical aniseed taste and is also found in anise and star anise.

Peanut butter: In general, you should look for a product that is as close to natural as possible. This means no flavor enhancers, no added sugar and as little salt as possible. It is also better to take a look at the nutritional composition rather than just looking at the product name. For example, the "low-salt" peanut still has almost 10 times as much salt as the one without added salt.

Frying oil: We chose refined rapeseed oil as our frying oil. Rapeseed oil has a high proportion of essential fatty acids, especially omega-3 fatty acids.

Cook chickpeas yourself: Soak the chickpeas in plenty of fresh water for at least 12 hours or overnight, but preferably 24 hours. Chickpeas absorb a lot of water - you should bear this in mind when choosing the container and the amount of water. Then drain the chickpeas through a sieve and rinse briefly. Put in a large pot and cook in plenty of water. The cooking time depends on the age and storage of the chickpeas and is around 1.5 - 2 hours - it is best to plan generously when preparing chickpeas.

Buying preserved chickpeas: For a quick option, it is advisable to only buy organic quality canned goods. They are often processed more gently, but above all they contain fewer or no additives. Glass canned goods, which generally predominate in organic stores, are particularly recommended. These do not contain aluminum or BPA (bisphenol A) and are more environmentally friendly.

Reduce salt and oil: We have deliberately used extra low-salt vegetable stock to keep the salt content as low as possible without compromising on taste. Since salt requirements vary from person to person, it is best for you to decide for yourself. We have also reduced the amount of oil by half. A good read on this topic is the book " Salt. Sugar, Fat ".

We have deliberately reduced the amount of peanut butter to 4 tablespoons to slightly improve the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids. However, you can also use the full 6 tablespoons, it's up to you.

Prepare fresh: We generally recommend using fresh, home-cooked ingredients. You can use fresh tomatoes instead of canned tomatoes. You can easily pre-cook the chickpeas yourself (see tips). By cooking them at home, you can also determine the firmness yourself (canned chickpeas are often very soft, sometimes mushy). Of course, canned goods often contain unnecessary additives or are heavily salted, so you should prefer the unprocessed version.

Using leftovers: This stew is an easy way to use up leftover vegetables in the fridge. You can also use carrots or parsley and chopped cabbage instead of kale.