Mali · National Dish Recipes

Mali

If Mali has a national dish, it is maafe: meat stewed in a deep, satisfying peanut sauce. Start with our Maafe recipe, then browse 66 more Malian classics, from everyday cooking to festive specialities.

The Most Famous Malian Dishes

  1. Maafe

    Maafe is groundnut stew and it spread across West Africa from the Mandinka heartland of Mali. Peanut butter thickens a tomato base with meat and root vegetables in it. It is served …

Mali

National Dish Mali: Koudé (Recipe)

Meet Koudé, a warmly spiced peanut-and-vegetable dish that sits right at the heart of Malian home cooking. Toasted peanuts give it …

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Mali

National Dish Mali: Kelewele (Recipe)

Say hello to Kelewele, the spiced fried plantain snack that turns up wherever people gather in Mali and across West Africa. Sweet, …

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Mali

National Dish Mali: Djouka (Recipe)

Meet Djouka, one of Mali’s great national dishes and a wonderful introduction to West African home cooking. It brings …

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What is the national dish of Mali?

Mali has no single official national dish, but maafe is the one most often given that title, meat stewed in a deep, satisfying peanut sauce. A step-by-step recipe is on this page, alongside 66 more authentic Malian recipes.

What food is Mali famous for?

Mali's most famous dish is maafe. This page collects 67 authentic Malian recipes, from everyday classics to festive specialities.