Slow-cooked chicken with root vegetables and aromatic herbs, steamed in a traditional earth oven or closed pot.
Mumu is Papua's ancient earth-oven cooking method, and when applied to chicken with sweet potato, taro, and fragrant herbs, it creates fall-apart tender meat infused with earthy, smoky undertones. This is festival food, celebration food — layers of protein and starches cooked together until they marry into one harmonious dish.
Serves 6
In a large, covered pot, layer sweet potato, taro, and onion on the bottom.
Place chicken pieces on top. Scatter herbs and drizzle coconut oil.
Cover tightly and cook on low heat (or low oven at 160°C) for 90 minutes until chicken is very tender.
Everything should be fall-apart tender. Serve family-style, spooning cooking juices over the top.
Don't open the lid — the steaming is crucial.
The vegetables will partially break down and thicken the juices — this is perfect.
Low, slow heat is essential.
Add root vegetables like cassava or yams
Include leafy greens on top in the last 20 minutes
Use pork or beef instead of chicken
Refrigerate for 3 days. Reheats beautifully.
Mumu cooking dates back centuries in Papua, a method of slow-cooking in pits that was adapted to modern kitchens.
Yes, cover tightly and bake at 160°C for 90 minutes.
Taro is a starchy root vegetable common in the Pacific. Substitute with yam or cassava.
Per serving · 6 servings total
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