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Roasted Eggplant in Mafé Peanut Sauce

Roasted eggplant with mafe sauce on a plate.
Photo by Evan Sung

This dish is a conversation between two of my favorite ingredients: eggplants and peanuts. It’s my version of a dish that’s been stuck in my memory ever since my friend Chef Mashama Bailey prepared it at Chef Kwame Onwuachi’s Family Reunion. Eggplant, when roasted to perfection, offers a soft and juicy interior that complements its charred exterior. The combination of the creamy mafé peanut sauce and the crunchy crushed peanuts makes this the ultimate comfort side dish, one that gives new meaning to the phrase “simple is best.”

This recipe was excerpted from 'Simply West African' by Pierre Thiam—one of the best cookbooks of 2023. Buy the full book on Amazon.

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