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Loading...A beloved national dish of Angola, this hearty meal pairs a richly spiced chicken and okra stew cooked in red palm oil with a smooth, stretchy cassava flour porridge. The mild, slightly sour porridge is used to scoop up the deeply savory, slightly smoky stew in true Angolan style.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time45 mins
Total Time65 mins
Servings4
Yield4 servings
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 640 kcalCalories
- 34 gFat
- 11 gSaturated Fat
- 42 gCarbs
- 6 gFiber
- 5 gSugar
- 42 gProtein
- 780 mgSodium
- 920 mgPotassium
- 120 mgCalcium
- 4 mgIron
- 28 mgVitamin C
- 180 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the cassava porridge
- 2 cups fine cassava flour (fufu flour)
- 3 cups cold water
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
For the chicken stew (muamba)
- 2 lbs bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
- 1 tsp fine salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup red palm oil
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small tomato, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 lb fresh okra, tops trimmed, left whole
- 1 small habanero or malagueta chile, pierced
- 2 cups warm chicken broth or water
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 bay leaf
Directions
- Pat the chicken dry and season all over with 1 tsp salt, black pepper, and ground coriander. Let it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes while you prep the other ingredients.
- Heat the red palm oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until it shimmers and looks translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer and brown on both sides, about 6 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
- Lower the heat to medium and add the chopped onion to the same pot. Cook, stirring often, until softened and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more, until fragrant.
- Add the chopped tomato and tomato paste to the pot and cook, pressing against the pot, until the paste darkens and the tomato breaks down into a thick sauce, about 4 minutes. Return the chicken and any juices to the pot along with the bay leaf and pierced chile.
- Pour in the warm broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for 25 minutes, until the chicken is tender and the meat pulls away from the bone easily.
- Add the whole okra to the stew, gently nestling them into the sauce. Simmer uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes more, until the okra is tender and the sauce has thickened to a glossy, oil-rich consistency. Taste and adjust salt.
- Meanwhile, make the cassava porridge: bring the 3 cups of water to a full boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the cassava flour a handful at a time, whisking constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent lumps.
- Stir vigorously for 5 to 7 minutes, switching to the wooden spoon as the mixture thickens, until the porridge comes together into a smooth, elastic, dough-like ball that pulls cleanly away from the sides of the pan. Season with 1/2 tsp salt.
- Remove the bay leaf and chile from the stew. Wet your hands with cold water and shape the warm cassava porridge into a single large mound or four small mounds on a serving plate. Spoon the chicken and okra stew alongside or over half of the porridge. Serve hot, with extra porridge handed around for scooping.
Cook’s Notes
- Authentic red palm oil gives the stew its signature deep orange-red hue and rich flavor; substitute with a mix of palm shortening and a pinch of paprika if unavailable.
- Funge should be eaten while hot: it firms up as it cools and loses its stretchy, scoopable texture.
- For a more traditional flavor, use malagueta peppers if you can find them; otherwise, habanero, scotch bonnet, or bird's eye chiles all work well.
- Okra can be added whole or sliced; whole okra gives a cleaner presentation and a slightly less mucilaginous texture.
- To save time on busy weeknights, make the stew up to two days ahead and reheat gently, as the flavor deepens overnight in the refrigerator.
