The Simon Majumdar Newsletter
March 2026
Happy March, everyone.
I am so pleased to share that tonight is the season premiere of Tournament of Champions VII. It is on at 8 pm on Food Network, and streaming on HBO Max and Discovery+. I will be back interviewing judges. See you tonight.
In the meantime, inspired by my long time ago travels to Senegal and a recent meal in Los Angeles, I wanted to share this month’s new recipe offering. It is called Chicken Maafe or Chicken in a peanut sauce.
Bon appetit,
Simon
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Monthly Recipe
Chicken Maafe
Chicken Maafe or Mafé is a dish that is cooked in a peanut sauce. Peanuts have their origins in South America and likely first found themselves used in human cooking over 8,000 years ago. From there, they began to make their journey to Europe through a process in the 1500s described as the Columbian Exchange. That is the idea that certain crops and people would move to Europe and, at the same time, certain crops and people would move to the “New World” of the Americas. This “Exchange” would include items like tomatoes, chilis and indeed, peanuts, coming to Europe, particularly Portugal and Spain. Europe would then send items like beef and horses to the Americas. In addition, European colonizers also brought enslaved people and diseases to the New World. Europeans would take these “New World” ingredients to their other colonies in other parts of the world to see if they would grow there. The reason I bring all this up is because that is how peanuts arrived in Africa. Peanuts since then have become one of the main staples of West African cuisine. Now, I think that I perhaps should write more about nuts for my next season of “Eat My Globe,” but until then I wanted to share with you one of the dishes I fell in love with during my visit in West Africa. I did not visit the specific area where this dish was first created, which was Mali, but I loved it during my time in Senegal. And I was recently reminded of this dish while dining here in LA so I wanted to share with you my version of this wonderful Chicken Maafe.
INGREDIENTS (Serves About 4)
4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
2 tsps Kosher Salt
2 tsps Pepper
1 tsp Garlic Powder
2 Medium Sized White Onions (Sliced)
6 Cloves Garlic (Peeled and Chopped)
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Red Chili Powder
1 Scotch Bonnet Chili (You can use habanero, which is easier to find and less hot)
2 tsps Tomato Paste
12 oz Can Diced Tomatoes
6 Tbsps Peanut Butter (I use crunchy style)
3 Cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock
2 Medium Size Russet Potato (Peeled and Chopped in ½ inch Squares)
1 Green Bell Pepper (Sliced)
1 Bunch Baby Spinach
1 Bunch Cilantro (Chopped – ½ for the pot, ½ for garnish)
3 Tbsps Peanut Oil (This is traditional, but you can use canola oil too)
METHOD
Season the chicken with half the amount of salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Place a large braising pan on the stove, add the oil, and bring up to medium temperature.
Place the chicken into the oil and cook for 3 or 4 minutes each side until there is what is known as a “fond.” This is a mark of the bottom of the pan that has the deep and rich flavor of the chicken.
When this is done, remove the chicken from the pan and place it on one side. It will be cooked fully once it is added again to the sauce.
Add the onions to the pan, and stir for 5 minutes.
Add the garlic to the pan, and stir for 3 minutes.
Add the cumin, red chili powder, and the remaining salt, pepper and garlic powder, and cook for 3 minutes.
Get the Scotch Bonnet Chili and make two holes in it. Then, add it to the pan, and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the tomato paste, and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the diced tomatoes, and cook for 4 minutes.
Add the peanut butter and the stock to the pan, and mix in. Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes.
Remove the lid and blend using a hand blender (or a counter blender being sure that the mixture is not too hot).
Add the potatoes and the bell pepper, and cook for 10 minutes.
Add the chicken, spinach, and ½ the cilantro. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.
Remove the lid. Check that the sauce is to your consistency. You can add a dash of water if you want it thinner. Also check for seasoning.
Add the rest of the cilantro.
Serve with basmati rice.
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