This is a classic stew of mixed vegetables and meat from Senegal that’s served, in this instance with millet couscous prepared with ‘lalo’ the dried and powdered leaves of the baobab tree.
Prep time; 20 minutes/Cook time: 55 minutes/Serves: 4 (+2 hours marinating)
Ingredients
1kg of lamb (or goat) meat, cut into serving-sized pieces
1 chicken, cut into serving-sized portions
For the Marinade:
1 Maggi cube, crumbled
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp tomato purée
4 garlic cloves, pounded
1/2 tsp chilli powder
2 tbsp peanut butter
juice of 1 lime
4 tbsp hot water
salt, to taste
400g tomato purée
300ml of oil
2 onions, peeled and chopped
1 leek, divided into white and green parts, washed and chopped separately
3 carrots, scraped and diced
1 cassava, peeled and chopped
1 sweet potato (white), peeled and chopped
1/2 red bell peppers, diced
1 hot chilli, finely chopped
4 bay leaves
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 Maggi cube
2l of water
For the Couscous
500g millet couscous
2 tbsp lalo powder (dried and powdered baobab leaf)
Method:
For the marinade, dissolve the peanut butter and tomato purée in the hot water in a bowl then whisk in the remaining ingredients. Season to taste with salt.
Prick the meat all over with the point of a sharp knife. Transfer to a bowl, pour over the marinade and massage into the meat with your hands. Cover and set aside to marinate for 1-2 hours.
After this time, place a wok or deep pan over medium heat. Once hot add the oil and use to fry the chicken pieces for about 15 minutes, until nicely browned all over. Remove with tongs and set aside then use the oil to fry the beef pieces until nicely browned. Remove from the oil and set aside.
In the meantime, prepare the onions, bell peppers, garlic, chillies and the base of the leek. Combine in a bowl, season with salt and black pepper then set aside.
Once the meat has been fried add 2 tbsp over the vegetable mixture to the oil, followed by the tomato purée and the bay leaf. Stir to dissolve the tomato purée in the oil and continue cooking until the oil separates (about 4-5 minutes). After this time add the carrots and leak leaves into the oil.
Now pour in the water and bring to a boil. Add the remainder of the onion mix and all the other vegetables. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 25 minutes. At this point, add in the meat and continue cooking for 10 minutes over low heat, until everything is hot through.
Wash the couscous thoroughly (the excess millet flour will float off). Tip the couscous into a microwave-safe bowl and pour over enough water so the couscous is completely submerged. Stir in the lalo powder, transfer to your microwave and cook on full powder for 8-9 minutes. Allow to rest for 2 minutes then serve the couscous with the meat sauce.
For an even richer dish, you can prepare a ‘bombe thiéré’ where the oil that floats to the top of the sauce is poured over the couscous and the couscous is finished with a little sugar, half a Maggi cube, 200g white beans, and 6 tbsp raisins or dates, finely chopped.
