Mali's national meal is Tiguadege Na, made with lamb or chicken. Tiguadege Na translates to "meat in peanut butter sauce."

This peanut butter stew has a rich texture and is delicious. To improve the taste of this excellent dish, large pieces of potatoes and carrots have been added. Although the preparation of this dish takes quite a while, the result is well worth the wait.

This Malian dish, like many others, has a vegetarian version, so plant-eaters can still enjoy the deliciousness of this meal.

Although the preparation of this meal takes quite a while, it is worth it. You will need beef, lamb or, for the adventurous, goat, cubed, boned or chicken in pieces or parts, oil, some cloves, pepper, and seasonings to taste, both fresh and ketchup, chicken, or vegetable broth, peanut butter, some carrots, eggplant, and potatoes.

For the vegetarian version, you will need; oil, onions, some garlic, fresh and mushy tomatoes, vegetable broth, finely ground peanut butter, pepper, seasonings, black pepper, pumpkin, and cabbage.

This Malian dish is very healthy, as you can see from the ingredients used.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 2 lb. beef, lamb, or, for the adventurous, goat, cubed, off the bone, or 2 lb. chicken meat in pieces or parts
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 can chopped tomatoes, or 4 large tomatoes, seeded, peeled, and chopped
• 2 tsp. tomato paste
• 4 cups vegetable, chicken, or beef broth
• 4 Tbs. peanut butter
• 1 Tsp. Herbes de Provence ( a blend of thyme, bay leaves, rosemary, cloves, sage, marjoram, basil, etc. that can be found in most spice sections)
• 2 carrots, cut into large chunks
• 2 potatoes, cut into large chunks
• 1 eggplant, chopped

Directions:

• Heat oil in sauce over high heat. Cook the meat until golden brown on all sides. Add the onion and garlic, season with a little salt and pepper, continue to cook, stirring until the onion is soft. Add canned or fresh tomatoes to their juice and tomato paste.

• Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth, peanut butter, Herbes de Provence, and stir until mixed. Add the vegetables and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pot and let it simmer on low heat for about 1 hour. Serve over rice.

Nile perch, also known as tilapia, Goliath perch, African seabass, Goliath barramundi, arhat, or Victoria perch, is a species of freshwater fish in the family Latidae, order Perciformes.

Nile perch is native to the Congo, Nile, Senegal, Niger, and Lake Chad, as well as the Volta, Lake Turkana, and other watersheds in the Afrotropical region. It can also be found in the brackish waters of Egypt's Lake Mariout. In East Africa, the Nile perch is the main fish for economic and food security reasons. River perch has a moderate flavor and is sweet, with just the right amount of meat. The perch fillets are slightly pink when raw, but when cooked, they turn snow-white.

Nile perch has many health benefits. During fillet production, about 50% of the total weight of fish is unprocessed. Therefore the belly flaps account for about 20% of the by-product.

Ingredients:

• Fillets of Le Capitaine fish or any really solid white fish
• ½ can crush or chopped tomatoes
• 4 small fresh tomatoes
• A few springs of fresh chopped thyme
• 1 small to a medium bunch of flat parsley
• 2 hot green chilis (piment)
• ½ onion cut into large chunks
• 1 tablespoon fresh garlic
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger
• Vegetable oil, salt, pepper

Directions:

• Heat oil in a pan. Season fish with salt and pepper. Add fish and cook until done. Turn the fish occasionally to brown on all sides. Remove the fish from the pan and set it aside.
• Place canned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, thyme, parsley, peppers, and onions in a blender. Blend until smooth, taste, and season with salt and pepper. Add oil to the pan that previously cooked the fish. Next, put the garlic and ginger in the pan. Add the sauce to the pan from the blender. Add some water to the pan with the sauce and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add the fish to the simmering sauce and cook until warmed through. Serve with sauce.

Poulet Yassa is a scrumptious West African dish. This mouth-watering dish is made from chicken marinated in an onion-lemon-vinegar mixture.

Then the chicken is cooked into a delicious sweet, spicy, and lemon gravy with lots and lots of caramelized onions, and the result is super excellent.

Serve hot with steamed rice and soak in the delicious sauce.

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts
• 4 onions
• Juice of 3 lemons
• 2 teaspoons mustard
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 pieces of braised chicken
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• 1 pinch chili
• Salt

Directions:

• Cut the chicken breasts into small pieces and arrange them on a plate. Add a spoonful of mustard, half of the minced garlic, pepper. Mix and marinate everything in the refrigerator for an hour.
• In a large saucepan, fry the chicken with oil. Add the finely chopped onion, the rest of the radish, 2 cups of water, the stock, the pepper, the lime juice, and the rest of the garlic.
  
• Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is almost evenly coated. Serve with rice.

Alabadja is a culinary specialty of Mali. It is a mixture of minced meat and rice boiled in a butter sauce.

This dish is traditionally eaten during festivals such as Eid. The meat of the animals was sacrificed during the festival, then used to make this flavorful dish.

Ingredients:

• beef
• butter
• onion chopped fine
• garlic chopped fine
• reen pepper chopped fine
• A heaping tablespoon of Fakoye spice blend
• dried dates
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup of rice

Directions:

• Beef needs to be tender. In Mali, they pound with a mortar and pestle. Then it is put in a pot with a good amount of butter. After the beef is golden brown, add the onion, garlic, and green pepper (adjust the amount as you like). Then cook for about 5 minutes, add fakoye seasoning, salt, and pepper and cook a little longer.
• Then you add the dried dates, but the trick is to mix the dried dates with water. The water will reconstitute the date juice, and the water will become flavorful. The amount of water depends on the type of rice you will be cooking. Most rice comes standard with 2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice, but you can make it with less water due to the other ingredients.
• Add the dates and water to the pot and stir a little before adding the rice. Add the rice and bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cook until the rice is tender and absorbs all the water. Let cool for a few minutes, and then serve up a delicious alabadja!

Couscous is a Malian dish of traditionally steamed durum wheat semolina, in traditional, served with a stewed condiment on top. Pearl millet, sorghum, bulgur, and other grains can be cooked similarly in other regions, and the resulting dishes are sometimes called couscous.

This Malian dish is a form of semolina pasta made from small steamed marbles. It is one of the fastest, easiest, and most adaptable side dishes you can make. It pairs well with stews and other main meals. It's super easy to make by simply pouring boiling water over the dried pastry and letting it sit for 5-15 minutes.

When compared to white rice, the calories are about the same. However, couscous contains more protein and higher amounts of vitamins and minerals, so you could say it's a bit healthier. Couscous is often considered a healthy alternative to pasta because it is made from whole wheat flour. Other types of pasta are often more delicately prepared. If properly cooked, couscous is light and fluffy. Furthermore, it tends to take on the flavors of other ingredients, making it very versatile.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups couscous
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock, low sodium
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt

Herb Option:

• 2 tbsp coriander/cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

Fruit and nuts:

• 1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1/3 cup currants or sultanas
• 2 tbsp slivered almonds, toasted

Directions:

• Heat the chicken stock until it boils using whichever method you choose (stove, 3-4 minutes in the microwave on high).
• Pour over the tercous in a heatproof bowl. Shake to thicken, cover with a plate (or cling film).
• Leave on for 10 minutes, then shave with a fork. Stir through olive oil, lemon juice, and salt.
• Stir through herbs or fruits and nuts. Or as I do, use them all! Keep warm until ready to use. Ideal served with Tagine, or anything Middle Eastern.

Jollof Malian Rice is one of the most loved Malian dishes, often served on special occasions.

Jollof rice is a rice dish from West Africa. This dish is usually made with long-grain rice, grass, palava sauce, leaves, water, and banana peels in a single pot. The ingredients and preparation methods vary from region to region. There are some regional variations in name and ingredients. For example, in Mali, it is called zaamè in Bamanankan. Although there are many variations, it has become the most famous African dish outside of the continent.

Jollof rice traditionally consists of rice, cooking oil, vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, red peppers, garlic, ginger, and scotch bonnet. To increase the color of the dish, people add ketchup (ground sugar). Use salt, seasoning/stock cubes (mixture of flavor enhancers, salt, nutmeg, and herbs), curry powder, and dried thyme for seasoning. Serve chicken, turkey, beef, or fish to complement the dish. But in Mali, lamb is the preferred protein option.

Ingredients:

For the chicken

• 2 lb chicken (bone-in), cut
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 onion
• 1-inch piece of ginger
• 1 Scotch bonnet pepper
• 1 stock cube Maggi or other

For the sauce

• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 8 oz tomato paste
• 14 oz tomato puree (canned)
• 2 Scotch bonnet peppers
• 1 onion
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon curry powder (optional)

For the rice

• 4 cups parboiled rice
• 1/2 lb green beans, cut into 1 inch / 2,5 cm pieces
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into large matchsticks

Directions:

• Puree the garlic, onion, ginger, lemongrass, and chili with 3 cups of water.
  Put the chicken pieces in a large pot. Pour the mixture over. Stir well, adding water to cover the chicken if needed. Cover and cook on medium/low for 30 minutes.
• Heat oil in a non-stick pan, then add sliced onion and fry for 8-10 minutes until soft and golden brown. Add ketchup and continue cooking while stirring for 5 minutes. In the meantime, remove the chicken from the pot, drain it, and place it in the blender. Add the tomato puree, one onion, and 2 Scotch bonnet peppers and mix well to get a smooth paste.
• Put this mixture in the pan with the onion and tomato sauce, mix well. Add vegetables and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add bay leaves and curry powder. Add the rice to the sauce and stir well. Add salt to taste. Cover and cook over low heat until the rice is fully cooked about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, you put the boiled chicken in a sauté pan with three tablespoons of vegetable oil for color.
• Serve the rice with the chicken, sautéed vegetables, or a green leafy salad on the side.

This Malian dish is a traditional dish of the Malian desert. Bouille is a French word that means "burnt milk cake." The original tart had a thick, sugar cookie-like crust with a soft custard filling in the middle. This delightful dish is made with a few simple ingredients, including milk, eggs, butter, sugar, and vanilla.

Melktert is an Afrikaner dessert consisting of a custard-filled pastry crust made with milk, flour, sugar, and eggs. The milk-to-egg ratio is higher than traditional Portuguese custard or Chinese custard, resulting in a lighter texture and a stronger milky flavor. It is often referred to as "a complete dessert." The name is from a pidgin version of the milk tart. It doesn't take long to make this delicious tart dessert because ingredients can be obtained from your pantry.

Ingredients:

Filling

• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3 large eggs
• ¼ cup cold salted butter, cubed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Crust

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ cup salted butter, cubed
• 1 large egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon whole milk
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• Sweetened sliced strawberries
• Garnish: confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

• Whisk together the sugar, flour, and salt in a medium saucepan. Beat milk, cream, and eggs until smooth. Cook over medium heat, constantly whisking, until mixture is thick, about 10 minutes. Remove and immediately stir in the butter and vanilla. Spoon mixture into a medium glass bowl, cover with cling film and let stand at room temperature until cool.
• Mix flour, sugar, and baking powder until blended. Add butter. Beat until mixture resembles coarse flour. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
• Whisk together eggs, yolks, milk, and almond extract in a small bowl. Use a fork to stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture.
• Knead the dough with your hands until it forms a ball, forming a disc. Wrap tightly in cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly spray a 9-inch deep cake dish with baking spray with flour. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle. Transfer the dough to the prepared cake plate, pressing the bottom and topsides. Spoon the custard into the crust. Fold the edges of the dough over the filling towards the center.
• Bake until the crust is golden brown and the center of the filling is slightly raised.
• Serve with strawberries. Garnish with confectioners' sugar, if desired.

Prevalent throughout the Sahel, this tea is a concentrated, sweetened brew that is served in small cups. The teapot itself is small, and it seems that everything has been shrunk due to the power of tea.

Malian tea is a sweetened, intense drink delivered in three bursts in miniature cups. Since the first part of the tea is a bitter and vigorous taste, it is called "death." The second serving is dubbed 'life' because it becomes sweeter. 'Love' is the name of the last and last ratio. In Mali, drinking tea is a time to relax and mingle.

The Mali and Mauritania tea ceremonies are common throughout North Africa. The type of tea used is usually Chinese green tea. The tea is brewed over charcoal and then poured into another pot. It is poured back and forth and then into the glass. It is usually made and served by the man in Mali and Mauritania.

Ingredients:

• 4 Tablespoons green tea
• 12 cups water
• 2 cups sugar or more
• 4 sprigs mint
• 2 teapots and 5 glasses

Directions:

• In a teapot, boil water with green tea leaves.
• Once boiled, pour the tea from one pot to another several times.
• Then from a high height above the glass, pour all the glass and then continue from one glass to another until frothy bubbles appear. Put the pot back on the heat, and then add the mint leaves and sugar. Repeat the process until each guest has had three cups of tea.
• Serve by day.