Natural ingredients with no artificial preservatives, Mambá (Dominican peanut butter) is a savory, sometimes spicy spread that you can enjoy with breakfast or as a snack. It is easily made at home with just a few ingredients that are very easy to find, so try this recipe today.
By - Reviewed: . Original: Apr 18, 2011
Why we ❤️ it
If you're used to the sweet peanut butter typically found on supermarket shelves, you're in for a surprise if you try ours. A pleasant surprise.
This is not like the supermarket peanut butter, as the title of this post suggests. This is a savory, spicy version. How spicy depends on each person's taste. I call it "peanut butter for grownups".
As bonus points, mambá is gluten-free and vegan!
Mambá and history
Mambá is not the name of a snake (notice the tilde/emphasis on the second syllable). The word is almost certainly of African origin; however, I am uncertain of the origins of the dish itself. The word for peanut in Congolese is muamba, with nearly the same pronunciation as the Spanish/Dominican word. As mambá is traditionally served spread on casabe it suggests that perhaps mambá is also a very old tradition. Since the word can be neatly traced back to enslaved Africans of Congolese origin, the dish or something similar may have arrived with them.
Thanks to John, one of our readers, for pointing us in the right direction.
Mambá is also popular in Haiti where it is produced commercially, as a cottage product, and as a home dish. In the Dominican Republic though, it's either a homemade concoction or a cottage industry product. I have never seen it available commercially.
Mamba and ingredients.
Serving suggestions
It is usually served with casabe (cassava bread), but if you don't have any at hand, rustic bread or toasted pita is a good way to serve it.
Top tips
- Spicy hot? Be aware that Scotch bonnet peppers are quite spicy. If you are not into spicy food (my family is!), you can either not add any, or add a few drops of your favorite hot sauce instead. Most mambá available in the DR isn't spicy.
- Peanut oil: Oil is added to the recipe to make the spread thinner and to aid in blending it. Since it does not contain emulsifiers, the oil will eventually rise after a couple of days, so you may have to stir to mix before serving.
- Storing: You can store mambá for up to two weeks in the fridge in a tight-lidded jar previously washed with hot soapy water and dried completely.
About this recipe
I have to say that I'm partial to our peanut butter - not only is it very flavorful, it's probably also healthier than the industrial version. And it's a staple of our frugal living strategy. It contains very few ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your kitchen, or can get at short notice.
Mambá is always a savory spread, never sweet, and some people like it spicy - this is also my preference. Others prefer to forego the spicy peppers.
This mambá recipe is based on the ones I had as a child. As I don't know for certain what proportions were used in the ones we bought, I've tried to recreate it here.
Video
Recipe
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Mambá [Video+Recipe] Spicy & Savory Peanut Butter
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted toasted peanuts
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- 1 Scotch bonnet pepper, (or habanero)
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
1. Blending
Combine peanuts, oil, Scotch bonnet pepper (only ¼ of the hot pepper), and salt in the processor vase. Grind until you get a smooth paste.Taste and add more pepper until you find the point you like (not all hot peppers are the same, for this one I used a whole habanero because we like very spicy food).
2. Serving and storing
- When you find the flavor you like, pour into a lidded jar and keep refrigerated. Consume within a week of preparation.
Cook's Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
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More peanut recipes
If you are looking for more Dominican recipes with this millenary legume, try also Chocolate de maní (peanut cocoa) and Dulce de maní (peanut candy). And for something non-traditional, try my recipe for Homemade energy bars for breakfast.
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