Vegan Maffé Bissap
The traditional version of this dish is usually made with smoked fish and is very popular with locals in The Gambia. Its popularity tends to soar even more during the rainy season – when it’s wet, damp and dreary – and cravings for foods that warm and comfort you “from the inside out” are yearned for. This vegan version is just as delicious as its non-vegan counterpart. The ingredients and technique are very simple, but the result is comfort-food at its best. We hope you love it as much as we do in The Gambia!
Ingredients
- 1 jar Maffé Simmer Sauce
- 6 cups water
- ¾ cup dry black-eyed peas
- ¾ cup old-fashioned peanut butter
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 12 oz frozen cut okra
- 6 – 8 oz. baby spinach finely chopped
- ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice (no substitutions)
- 1 ½ – 2 tsp. salt
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- ½ – 1 tsp Kaani sauce
Instructions
INSTANT POT DIRECTIONS
- Into the instant pot, empty jar of Maffé sauce. Pour 1 cup of the water into the empty jar and shake (with lid tightly screwed on) to loosen any sauce clinging to the jar. Add to the instant pot along with the remaining 5 cups, beans, okra, peanut butter, tomato paste, sugar and 1½ tsp salt. Stir to combine.
- Close, select the manual setting, and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Once cooking is complete, use the quick release function to release the steam.
- Switch the instant pot to the middle setting of the sauté function (normal) and set timer for 15 minutes. Add the spinach and stir until mostly wilted. Simmer with the instant pot lid slightly askew, stirring every five minutes – watch out for splattering.
- When cooking time is complete, switch the instant pot back on again to the lowest sauté setting (less) and set the timer for 20 minutes. Simmer uncovered stirring halfway.
- After cooking is complete, stir in lime juice, and kaani sauce. Taste to determine if it needs additional salt.
- This dish is traditionally served over sticky or fluffy jasmine rice with lime wedges and extra kaani sauce tableside.
SLOW COOKER DIRECTIONS
- In a slow cooker, empty jar of Maffé sauce. Pour 1 cup of the water into the empty jar and shake (with lid tightly screwed on) to loosen any sauce clinging to the jar. Add to cooker along with the remaining 3 cups of water, beans, okra, peanut butter, tomato paste, sugar and 1½ tsp salt.
- Stir to combine. Cover with lid, cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 4-6 hours.
- An hour before cooking is complete, add spinach and stir to combine – continue cooking with lid slightly askew.
- After cooking is complete, stir in lime juice and kaani sauce. Taste to determine if it needs additional salt.
- This dish is traditionally served over sticky or fluffy jasmine rice with lime wedges and extra kaani sauce tableside.
Stove Top Directions
- In a large heavy-bottomed pan, empty jar of Maffé sauce. Pour 1 cup of the water into the empty jar and shake (with lid tightly screwed on) to loosen any sauce clinging to the jar. Add to pan along with the remaining 3 cups of water, beans, okra, peanut butter, tomato paste, sugar and 1½ tsp salt.
- Stir to combine all the ingredients together. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer.
- Simmer covered for 60 minutes stirring every 15 minutes – watch out for splattering. Add spinach and simmer with lid askew for an additional 20 – 30 minutes (stirring every 10 minutes) or until the beans are tender.
- After cooking is complete, stir in lime juice and kaani sauce. Taste to determine if it needs additional salt.
- This dish is traditionally served over sticky or fluffy jasmine rice with lime wedges and extra kaani sauce tableside.
Recipe Notes
- The extra peanut butter and tomato paste called for in this recipe is a necessity due to the quantity of water and additional ingredients – collectively, they dilute the flavor of the star ingredient. The recipe will fail if you omit them.
- The flavor notes of this dish are savory, tangy, spicy and a hint of sweet. The sugar is required to balance the acidity from the lime and harmonize the ingredients. It’s a negligible amount and essential. Trust Us!
- Real Talk! If this dish could talk, it would tell you that it is best savored spicy. The heat cuts through the richness and heaviness of the peanuts whilst balanced by the sweetness from the sugar, and acid from the lime. Don’t skip it – we recommend our kaani sauce to deliver a fiery punch with an incomparable taste.
- To thicken, simmer uncovered or with lid slightly askew until sauce reaches your desired consistency. For a looser consistency, add extra water in ½ cup increments.
- Not all brands of peanut butter are suited for cooking Maffé. In fact, there are a few brands we stay clear of. We highly recommend Trader Joe’s Creamy Salted Smooth Peanut Butter, followed by Whole Foods 365 Smooth Salted. For more widely accessible brands, we recommend Smuckers all natural creamy (no sugar added) and Crazy Richards Creamy (has no salt, so you might need to add a little more to the recipe) – both brands are sold in Walmart nationally and Food Lion in the South.
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