Angolan stewed chicken with palm oil, okra, and garlic — a national dish.
Moamba de galinha is Angola's national dish, a celebration of West African cooking with Portuguese colonial influence. Chicken is stewed slowly in dendé (palm oil), creating a rich amber sauce, then fragrant with garlic and thickened with okra. It's comfort food that tells the story of Angola's diverse culinary heritage.
Serves 4
Heat palm oil. Sauté onions and garlic until soft, 3-4 minutes.
Add chicken and brown on all sides, 6-8 minutes.
Add ground ginger and fry 30 seconds. Pour in 2 cups water.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes until chicken is tender.
Stir in okra and simmer 10 minutes until softened. Season with salt and pepper.
Dendé oil has a distinctive flavor — don't substitute.
Okra will thicken the sauce naturally.
Serve over white rice or with cassava flour (farinha de mandioca).
Use beef instead of chicken
Add pumpkin for sweetness
Make with fish
Refrigerate up to 4 days. Freezes for 3 months.
Moamba de galinha is rooted in Bantu cooking traditions of Angola, enhanced by Portuguese spices and the introduction of palm oil as a key ingredient during colonial trade.
Look in African or Brazilian markets. It's also called palm oil.
Okra thickens the sauce naturally. Without it, the stew will be brothier.
Per serving · 4 servings total
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