National Dish of Angola – Moamba de Galinha
February 15, 2021 Nationalfoody
Ingredients
| Chicken (cut in quarters) | 1 | |
| Red palm oil / mixture of ½ cup peanut oil and 1 teaspoon paprika | ½ cup | |
| Okra (sliced) | ½ lb. | |
| Onions (diced) | 3 | |
| Whole chili pepper | 1 | |
| Tomatoes (largely diced) | 3 | |
| Butternut squash / pumpkin (cut into 1 ½ inch cubes) | 1 lb. | |
| Chili powder | 1 ½ tsp. | |
| Salt | ½ tsp. | |
| Cloves garlic (minced) | 4 | |
| Fresh lemon juice | 3 tbsp. | |
| Chicken broth | 1 cup |
Moamba de Galinha is a flavorful chicken stew that is considered to be Angola’s national dish. One of its distinguishing ingredients is red palm oil which gives the stew a unique aroma and taste. This ingredient may be difficult to find in modern supermarkets but can be substituted with paprika-infused peanut oil.
Directions for Preparing Moamba de Galinha
- Create a marinating paste for the chicken by combining lemon juice, salt, two minced garlic cloves, and chili powder.
- Rub this paste on the pieces of chicken and marinate for about an hour.
- The chicken also is marinated overnight.
- In a large Dutch oven pot, heat the red palm oil.
- Brown the chicken piece’s skin side down. Flip the chicken pieces. It is best to cook only a few pieces at a time to ensure each piece is evenly browned.
- Add the chopped onions, the remaining minced cloves of garlic, tomatoes, and the whole chili pepper.
- Pour in a little water and bring to a boil.
- Cover the pot, reduce the heat and allow the vegetables and meat to simmer for about an hour or until the chicken becomes tender.
- Add the diced squash or pumpkin cubes. Add the sliced okra.
- Give the stew a stir.
- Pour in the chicken stock and cook for about fifteen minutes till the vegetables become tender.
- Serve hot over steamed rice or boiled cassava.
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