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senegalesedinner

Domoda

Senegal's Mandinka peanut and tomato stew — a rich, slightly sweet groundnut stew thickened with tomato paste and peanut butter, made with beef or vegetables.

Prep
20 min
Cook
75 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
Medium
4.7(560 ratings)
#peanut#groundnut#beef#west african#senegalese

About This Recipe

Domoda (also spelled domodah) is the national dish of The Gambia and a beloved stew throughout Senegal, particularly associated with the Mandinka ethnic group. Unlike mafé, which uses fresh tomatoes and is more savory, domoda uses tomato paste for a sweeter, richer flavor profile. It is also typically richer in vegetables — sweet potato, eggplant, and cabbage are common additions. The peanut butter is added in generous quantities and the stew is thick enough to stand a spoon in it. Domoda is traditionally served over white rice or couscous.

Ingredients

Serves 4

  • 600 gbeef stew meat(cut into chunks)
  • 200 gnatural peanut butter
  • 3 tbsptomato paste
  • 1 largeonion(chopped)
  • 1 mediumsweet potato(cubed)
  • 1 mediumeggplant(cubed)
  • 1/4 smallcabbage(roughly chopped)
  • 2 wholescotch bonnet or habanero peppers
  • 1 litrewater
  • 2 tbspvegetable oil
  • 1 tspsalt

Instructions

  1. 1

    Brown the beef

    Heat oil and brown beef on all sides. Remove and set aside.

  2. 2

    Build the base

    Fry onion until golden. Add tomato paste and cook 8 minutes until it darkens.

  3. 3

    Add peanut butter

    Whisk peanut butter with 500ml warm water. Add to pot with beef and remaining water.

  4. 4

    Simmer and add vegetables

    Add peppers. Simmer 30 minutes. Add sweet potato, eggplant, and cabbage. Cook 25 more minutes until tender and sauce is thick.

Pro Tips

  • Tomato paste must be cooked until it darkens — raw paste tastes harsh

  • Use whole peppers that you can remove at the end to control the heat level

Variations

  • Make vegetarian with only vegetables

  • Use chicken thighs for a lighter version

Storage

Keeps 3 days refrigerated. Add water when reheating as the sauce thickens.

History & Origin

Domoda is the national dish of The Gambia and is closely related to the Senegalese mafé. It is associated with Mandinka people across the West African Sahel region.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is domoda the same as mafé?

Similar but distinct — domoda uses tomato paste (not fresh tomatoes) and is sweeter and richer. Both are West African peanut stews but have different flavor profiles.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving · 4 servings total

Calories560kcal
Protein42g
Carbohydrates30g
Fat32g
Fiber6g
Protein42g
Carbs30g
Fat32g

Time Summary

Prep time20 min
Cook time75 min
Total time95 min

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