1
Brown protein
Season and brown the meat or chicken in oil.
brown
10:00
Mali | Stew
Djabadji
Malian onion-rich red sauce with meat, tomato, garlic, and chile, served over rice or with toh.
Country
Mali
Region
West Africa
Time
90 min
Serves
6
Level
medium
Recipe overview
What to know before you cook
Djabadji, also called nandji in some references, is the kind of Malian sauce where onions do the heavy lifting and tomato gives the pot its red body.
What the dish tastes like
Malian onion-rich red sauce with meat, tomato, garlic, and chile, served over rice or with toh.
When to cook it
Best for Best for rice bowls, family lunch, and sauce rotation., with a medium cooking level and about 90 minutes total.
What to serve alongside it
White rice, fonio, toh, or boiled plantain.
Regional lane
Mali national table. A verified Mali dish in the AfroKitchen archive.
Chef watch-outs
- Adding too much liquid after the rice goes in.
- Stirring too often once the grains should be steaming.
- Stopping the base before the pepper, onion, or spice edge has mellowed.
How you know it is ready
- The grains should be tender but still distinct, with steam carrying the seasoning upward.
- The sauce should coat the spoon and taste rounded, not watery or raw.
- The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
Recipe photos
See the dish before you cook
Each recipe supports one main image and up to four extra prep, serving, or step photos when they are available.
Chef board
Build the table around Djabadji
White rice, fonio, toh, or boiled plantain.
Best route from here
Mali national table
Collections to keep cooking
How to cook it
Step-by-step method
Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.
4 steps
90 min total
medium
2
Cook onions
Add onions and cook until soft, sweet, and reduced.
onions
20:00
3
Simmer sauce
Add tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, pepper, and stock. Simmer until protein is tender.
simmer
35:00
4
Finish
Adjust salt and serve over rice or with toh.
finish
03:00
Some versions use beef, some chicken, and some add vegetables like carrot, cabbage, or eggplant.