The Yassa Poulet recipe is also known as Senegalese Chicken in Mauritania. Enjoy the flavors of West Africa with this Senegalese Poulet Yassa, which is made with chicken pieces that have been marinated overnight with onions, mustard, and lemon juice. This dish is simple to prepare, smells wonderful, looks lovely, and tastes amazing. If you're looking for something different to eat, try this!

Ingredients

• Marinade: 6 pieces Chicken thighs, 1/2 cup Lemon juice freshly squeezed, 1/4 cup Apple Cider vinegar or red wine Vinegar, 2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard, 1/4 cup Peanut oil or any other cooking oil, 5 cloves Garlic minced, 2 Tsp Bouillon powder or cubes, 1 Habanero finely chopped (for added heat), 1 Tsp Ginger spice, 1-1½ tsp Salt or to taste, 2 tsp Black pepper, 4 onions cut in halves and then thinly sliced into half-moon (preferably white/yellow onions), 2 Bay leaves
• Yassa Poulet: 2-3 tbsp Oil, 3/4 cup Chicken stock or water, 3/4 cup green olives optional, Parsley for garnish if desired

Instructions

• Prepare the marinade by combining the lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, 2 tbsp oil, minced garlic, bouillon powder, minced habanero, ginger powder, salt, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Mix well and set aside.
• Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl, add the onion slices, bay leaves, and marinade. Mix well then cover with a tight-fitting lid or a plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours, preferably overnight.
• When ready to cook, remove chicken pieces from the marinade. Save the marinade.
• Add 2-3 tablespoon of oil in a pan, gently place the chicken in the oil and brown them on both sides. 7 to 10 minutes on each side on medium heat (be sure not to crowd the pan). Remove from heat and set aside.
• Scoop out the onions from the marinade (don’t discard the marinade) and fry the onions until they well reduced. 5 to 10 minutes.
• Return the browned Chicken inside the cooking onion together with the remaining marinade and chicken stock or water. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook for another 15 to 20 or until the chicken is nice and tender, and the sauce is well reduced to your preference.
• Add the olives and simmer. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
• Serve over rice or mashed potatoes.

This West African Peanut Stew (Maafe) is one of the most incredible one-pot meals You could possibly imagine making – with toasty peanuts, greens, beans, sweet potatoes, and flavorful aromatics, this iconic Senegalese-style stew is beloved worldwide for very good reason. Apart from this, chefs also use vegetables like tomatoes, onions, cabbage, garlic, etc. If you are in Mauritania, you must try this delicious Mahfe dish.

Ingredients

• 5 or 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, Salt and pepper, as needed, 1 TBSP olive (or preferred cooking) oil, 1 yellow onion, diced, 1 sweet potato, cut into ½-inch cubes (just grab a large one, exact amount doesn’t matter so much),2 tsp cumin, ¼ cup fresh minced ginger, 4 large garlic cloves, minced, 1 scotch bonnet pepper, ribs and seeds removed (optional; can sub a jalapeno), 4 cups kale, chopped (you can sub the more traditional cabbage), ⅔ cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped, plus extra for topping, ½ cup creamy, natural peanut butter, 28-oz can crushed tomatoes, 14.5-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (optional), 3 cups chicken stock, Chopped cilantro, for topping

Instructions

• Add the oil to a large pot set over med-high heat. Season the chicken pieces liberally with salt and pepper on all sides and brown them in the hot oil for about 2.5 minutes per side (they’ll finish cooking in the stew). Transfer to a tray/plate and set aside for now.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the diced onion and sweet potato to the pot (and more oil, if it needs it). Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes, just until the potatoes begin to tenderize/brown. Add the cumin, ginger, garlic, chili pepper, peanuts, peanut butter, and kale (or cabbage). Stirring, allow this to cook for about a minute. Season, as needed.
• Add the crushed tomatoes, chickpeas (if using), and the chicken stock (I like my stew hearty, and never add the full box, but that’s up to you).
• Slide the chicken thighs, along with their juices, into the pot. Simmer the stew, uncovered, until the chicken and sweet potatoes are both cooked and tender; about 25 minutes. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and chop/shred it.
• Add back into the pot.
• Serve the stew in bowls topped with extra peanuts and cilantro, with a side of flatbread, OR on top of fluffy cooked rice or cous cous.

Tea ceremonies are widespread in Mali and Mauritania, as well as the rest of North Africa. The tea used in this recipe is Chinese green tea. The tea is brewed over embers before being poured into a second pot. The liquid is poured back and forth before being placed into glasses. Then from glass to glass again. To aerate the tea and generate a frothy foam on top, this is usually done from a great height above the pot or glass. It is a true art form that requires a great deal of work to master. It's also a long procedure; the ceremony can take hours at times. It is frequently prepared and served by the male of the home in both Mali and Mauritania.

Ingredients

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

Instructions

• In a tea pot boil water with green tea leaves
• once boiled pour tea from one pot to the other several times
• Then from a great height above the glasses pour one glass and then continue pouring from glass to glass until a frothy foam appears, put the pot back on the fire and add in mint leaves and sugar. Repeat the process until each guest had three cups of tea.
• Serve with dates

Slow-roasted lamb, known as mechoui in Mauritania, is a delectable delicacy. This non-vegetarian dinner is popular in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and other North African nations, in addition to Mauritania. Mechoui is usually made by roasting a whole lamb in a pit in the ground or on a spit over an open fire. The meat is eaten by hand with a dipping sauce of salt and cumin. The lamb's kidneys, eyes, heads, livers, and other vital organs are spared for the special guests.

Ingredients

• 1 whole leg of lamb (bone-in or shoulder), 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature), 3 to 4 cloves garlic, pressed, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric, 1 tablespoon olive oil, Salt, for dipping, Cumin, for dipping

Instructions

• Trim excess fat from leg of lamb or shoulder, and make a dozen or more deep cuts into meat with tip of a sharp knife.
• Combine butter with garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, saffron, turmeric, and olive oil. Spread mixture over entire leg or shoulder of lamb, working some butter into incisions made with knife.
• Place lamb in a roasting pan, and proceed with one of the roasting methods below.
• Very Slow-Roasting Method: 7 1/2 to 9 Hours
• This is the preferred Marrakesh method. You can reduce the cooking time to 4 to 5 hours by using a 350 F/180 C oven temperature.
• Preheat oven to 250 F.
• Place lamb in a roasting pan and cover with foil, sealing edges tightly. Roast lamb, basting hourly and resealing foil each time, for 7 to 8 hours, or until juices run clear and meat is tender enough to pinch off the bone.
• Small pieces of lamb, weighing less than 4 pounds might finish cooking in 6 hours. Larger pieces might take closer to 9 hours.
• Remove foil and increase oven temperature to 475 F. Brown lamb, basting frequently, for 15 to 30 minutes, or until meat is well-colored.
• Transfer lamb to a platter and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before serving. If desired, pour juices over and around lamb. Serve dishes of salt and cumin on the side for dipping.

Cherchem is an Algerian dish that is traditionally served during the Berber New Year celebrations in certain parts of the country. It is also prepared when a newborn begins to gnaw on his or her teeth. It's popular in Morocco, Mauritania, Algeria, and a number of other African countries. The recipe includes water, oregano, paprika, thyme, bay leaf, ground coriander, and other spices. The meal can be served either lunch or dinner.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup whole wheat, soaked for 48 hours in water, 1/2 cup dried Fava beans, soaked for 48 hours in water, 1/2 cup chickpeas, soaked overnight and rinsed, 1 small onion, chopped, 3 cloves garlic, minced, 1 tbsp chopped parsley plus more for serving, 1 tbsp chopped cilantro plus more for serving, 1 bay leaf, 1 medium tomato, grated, 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tbsp paprika, 1/2 tsp salt or to taste, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp ginger powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp Ras Al Hanout, 1/4 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp coriander powder, 2 tbsp olive oil About 3 chili peppers or any other type of hot peppers.

Instructions

• Soak the whole wheat for 48 hours in water. Make sure to change water after 24 hours.
• Soak the Fava beans for 48 hours in water. Make sure to change water after 24 hours.
• Soak the chickpeas overnight then rinse.
• Put olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Add the chopped onion and minced garlic.
• Add salt, pepper, ginger, turmeric, cumin, coriander powder, paprika,Ras Al Hanout then stir for about a minute.
• Mix in the tomato paste and add grated tomato, parsley, cilantro and the bay leaf. Let cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Add the rinsed whole wheat and Fava beans.
• Pour in boiled water to cover everything.
• Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and let cook covered for about 45 minutes.
• In meanwhile, cook the chickpeas in a slightly salted water for about 30 minutes or until fully cooked. Set aside.
• Once the whole wheat and Fava beans are cooked, add the cooked chickpeas with its water.
• Add chili peppers if you like.
• Adjust the seasoning and let cook for about 5 minutes. The sauce should be reduced at this point.
• Serve garnished with cilantro or parsley or both.