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Lafidi (Guinean rice with lamb and peanut sauce)
Lafidi: the Fula festive dish of the Fouta Djallon, Guinea: rice and lamb under a peanut sauce
High in the green hills of the Fouta Djallon in Guinea, Fula (Peul) families prepare lafidi for feast days and for guests: a mound of white rice topped with tender lamb and a generous peanut sauce, served on a shared platter. Some households make it with a leaf sauce of cassava or sweet potato leaves instead; this version uses the peanut sauce, which is smooth, nutty and lightly tangy from tomato, with a steady warmth of chilli. The lamb is simmered slowly in the sauce, so it is soft enough to pull apart with your fingers. Chef's tip: simmer the peanut sauce uncovered and stir it from the bottom often; peanut sauces catch and burn easily, and a scorched taste runs through the whole pot.
- Total time
- 100 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the lamb and sauce
- 2 ¼ lb lamb shoulder, bone inin chunks
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 onionschopped
- 4 garlic clovescrushed
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 ripe tomatoeschopped
- 5 cups hot water
- 1 Scotch bonnet chilliwhole
For the rice
- 16 oz long-grain white ricerinsed until the water runs clear
- 3 cups water
- ½ tsp salt
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Season 2 ¼ lb lamb shoulder, bone in with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp ground black pepper. Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy pot over a medium-high heat and brown the lamb well in batches. Lift out.
12 minStep 2: Lower the heat, add 2 onions and cook until soft and golden, then add 4 garlic cloves for 1 minute.
8 minStep 3: Stir in 2 tbsp tomato paste and fry for 2 minutes, then add 2 ripe tomatoes and cook until they break down.
6 minStep 4: Whisk 6 ½ oz smooth unsweetened peanut butter with a ladle of 5 cups hot water until smooth, then add to the pot with the remaining water, the lamb, 1 Scotch bonnet chilli and the rest of 1 tsp salt.
Step 5: Simmer uncovered over a low heat, stirring from the bottom every 10 minutes, until the lamb is very tender and the sauce is thick, with a sheen of oil on top. Covering the pot is a common mistake here: the sauce stays thin and never reduces.
60 minStep 6: About 25 minutes before the lamb is done, put 16 oz long-grain white rice, 3 cups water and ½ tsp salt in a pan, bring to the boil, cover and cook over the lowest heat until the water is absorbed. Rest off the heat, covered, for 10 minutes.
25 minStep 7: Spread the rice on a large platter, arrange the lamb on top and spoon over plenty of peanut sauce. Remove the chilli before serving.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 780 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 70 g
- Fat
- 37 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lafidi (Guinean rice with lamb and peanut sauce) take?
- About 100 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 80 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of ground black pepper?
- Black peppercorns, freshly ground, same amount.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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