Muamba de galinha

Muamba de galinha is Angola’s most famous dish, and one bite explains its reputation: chicken braised in red palm oil with garlic and fiery gindungo chili, sweetened by pumpkin and thickened by okra. Portugal and Angola share centuries of culinary conversation, and this stew is one of its most delicious results.

The soul of muamba is the palm oil — deep red, earthy and unmistakable. It gives the sauce its color and its depth, and it is worth seeking out at an African or international market.

The method is refreshingly simple: rub the chicken with salt, garlic and chili, brown it with onions in the palm oil, then let pumpkin and okra melt into the sauce until it is thick and glossy. Serve it over funge (Angolan cassava porridge) or plain white rice.

Muamba de Galinha Recipe

Prep time: 20 minutes · Cook time: 30 minutes · Total: 50 minutes · Servings: 4 · Calories: ~334 per serving

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
• 12 okra pods
• 2 large onions, chopped
• ¾ cup red palm oil
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 14 oz pumpkin, cut into small cubes (about 2½ cups)
• Gindungo (African bird’s eye chili), to taste
• Salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Rub the chicken pieces well with salt, the crushed garlic and crushed chili.
2. Place the chicken in a pot with the chopped onion and palm oil, and brown it evenly.
3. Add a little water and cook until the meat is almost done.
4. Add the cubed pumpkin and the okra.
5. Cook until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened.

Recipe Notes

• Gindungo is the Angolan chili, related to piri-piri and malagueta — any hot bird’s eye chili substitutes well.
• Red palm oil is worth finding for authenticity, but in a pinch another oil works (the flavor will be milder and the color paler).
• Bell peppers or eggplant are friendly additions.
• Serve with funge or white rice to soak up that magnificent sauce.