Caldo de Mancarra

About This Recipe

Caldo de Mancarra is the soul of Guinea-Bissauan cooking. Whole roasted peanuts are ground into a thick paste that envelops tender chicken pieces, sweet potato, and leafy greens in a rich, terracotta-coloured broth. A generous pour of red palm oil gives it unmistakable depth. Families cook it in cast-iron pots over open wood fires for weekend gatherings, and it is widely regarded as the country's national dish.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 kgchicken pieces, bone-in
• 200 graw peanuts, roasted and ground to a paste
• 2 tbspred palm oil
• 300 gsweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 2 cupsfresh spinach or baobab leaves
• 1 tspsalt and black pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Brown the chicken

   Heat palm oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and brown on all sides for 8 minutes. Remove and set aside.

2. 2

   Make the peanut broth

   Add ground peanut paste to the pot with 800 ml water, whisking until smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent sticking.

3. 3

   Simmer

   Return chicken to the pot along with sweet potato. Cover and cook on low heat for 30 minutes until chicken is cooked through and sweet potato is tender.

4. 4

   Add greens

   Stir in spinach and cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning.

5. 5

   Serve

   Ladle over plain white rice and serve immediately.

Variations

• •

  Add sliced okra in the last 10 minutes for extra body.

• •

  Substitute chicken with goat meat for a more traditional version.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat gently with a splash of water.

Frequently Asked Questions