Name: Mbahal
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup jasmine rice; ½ cup dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight, drained, or one 15.5-oz. can black-eyed peas, drained; 3 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, divided, plus more; 2 Tbsp. peanut or vegetable oil; 8 oz. boneless lamb shoulder, cutinto 1" pieces; 1 large onion, coarsely chopped; 1 cup cherry tomatoes; 1 Tbsp. tomato paste; 4 cups low-sodium chicken or beef broth; 1 small Italian eggplant (about 8 oz.), cut into 1" pieces; 1 habanero or Scotch bonnet chile; 2 bay leaves; 2–3 Tbsp. fish sauce; 2 Tbsp. tamarind paste (optional); 10 okra pods, trimmed; 1 cup creamy natural peanut butter; 2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper; Lime wedges (for serving)

Photograph by Jenny Huang, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Linden Elstran

If you’re looking for a big bowl of West African comfort, look no further than Mbahal, a popular Senegambian rice dish made with peanuts, black-eyed peas, and okra. “It’s the dish that every single [Senegalese] household has a recipe for,” says chef Pierre Thiam, cofounder of Yolélé Foods. Mbahal—whose name comes from the Wolof verb for boiling—gets its creamy risotto-like texture from simmering rice in a spicy tomato-peanut sauce until it thickens.

What you’ll need

Dutch Oven
$133 $80 At Amazon
Medium Pot with Lid
$155 At Amazon
Wooden Spoon
$7 At Amazon
Whisk
$10 At Amazon
Slotted Spoon
$11 At Amazon

Recipe notes