Malian Tiga Dégué au Poisson Fumé (Smoked Fish in Peanut Sauce) is an elegant dish. Very rich, creamy, and a good comfort food. Many African countries have variations of the “groundnut soup” (peanut soup), and this is a classic Malian version of the immensely popular dish.
(Photo Attributed to Author: Lord Mountbatten)
Malian Tiga Dégué au Poisson Fumé Recipe-
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. smoked fish (traditionally smoked catfish, but smoked mackerel will do, also), chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 3 tbsp. pure peanut oil
- 1 large onion, chopped fine
- 4 large clove garlic, minced
- 4 tbsp. smooth, low salt (less than 1%) peanut butter
- 2 ripe Roma plum tomatoes
- 2 tbsp. tomato purée
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black peppercorns
- 2 Maggi cubes, crushed (an absolute must ingredient, for the authentic Malian flavor)
- 4 Scotch Bonnet hot chili peppers, seeds left in, left whole
- water
- freshly ground coarse sea salt and black peppercorns, to taste
- Optional, mixed vegetables, such as cabbage, cassava, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, etc., chopped into bite-sized pieces
Directions:
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add the onion and sauté until fragrant and translucent.
- Add the tomato purée, 1 tsp. black pepper, garlic, and tomatoes, and cook the mixture, stirring often, for 9-10 minutes, and then add the peanut butter and enough water to make the mixture kind of soupy.
- Reduce heat to a lively simmer, and simmer-cook for 35-40 minutes, or until the oil separates from the peanut butter and floats to the top.
- Now add the fish, salt to taste (and more pepper to taste, if need be), crushed Maggi cubes, and whole Scotch Bonnet chilis. Bring the mixture back to a lively simmer and cook for another half an hour.
- If you are including vegetables in your Tiga Dégué au Poisson Fumé, you should add those in about 20 minutes before the stew is going to be finished cooking.
- You will know when the dish is well cooked when it takes on a nice and thick stew-like texture, and there forms a small film of oil in the surface.
- Serve your Malian Tiga Dégué au Poisson Fumé hot, with fresh rice, either on the side, or as a bed on which you ladle the stew over the top.
Note: this recipe is just one of hundreds, taken from our African Cuisine pages!
Hey man, awesome recipe! After having lived 19 years in Mali I can only correct one thing: The scotch bonnet peppers are left whole, as is, and will cook this way. Then upon serving, only the people who like hot will pierce it in their own plates, you never ever chop them off! In all Malian recipes, the sauce itself is never hot, but there is a hot pepper (unpierced) always present for people who like.
Hey thanks for the observation and correction, Karim. I will take your word for it, with your considerable experience, and make that adjustment. Come back often!
A peanut based stew, eh? Sounds just oddly interesting enough to try, lol. I guess if it’s that popular to millions of Africans, it’s worth this Scottish boy to check it out.
Love this site – I can always find new food adventures here – keep up the good work!
John, you are most welcome, and we will for sure keep up the work here, providing the very best ethnic food adventures from all over the world.
I’ve tried the groundnut soup from Ghana, and hubby and I both liked it a lot. So I’m guessing this Malian version will be great, too. I love that Maggi cube seasoning, bought some a while back when just getting into West African foods.
Question: would any hot peppers do, if you don’t have the Scotch Bonnets?
Margo, Scotch Bonnets are the traditional peppers used, but I would think any really HOT pepper would work, too. I would use Habaneros for a good substitute. The lesser hot peppers, like Jalapeno, just won’t deliver that same fire.