Muamba Chicken Stew
Black History Month Virtual Potluck 2023
In 2023, the theme of Black History Month is Black Resistance and Eat the Culture is recognizing the remarkable and, frankly, underrated resistance of our ancestors in bringing culinary traditions across the Atlantic to shape the vibrance of Black cuisine that we know and love today. They physically and mentally carried African foodways across the deadly Middle Passage to pass down through generations. This year’s Black History Month Virtual Potluck traces popular dishes of the Diaspora from their West African roots to North America and beyond. Share these recipes with your friends and loved ones and follow each participant by using the hashtag #BHMVP2023 on Instagram.
You can find the full list of recipes from this year’s collaboration on the Eat the Culture website.
Muamba chicken originated in Angola and has migrated with enslaved African people across the Caribbean, Central America, and the American South. This flavorful stewed chicken main dish combines spices and palm butter. With this recipe, I am teaching you how to make Muamba Chicken stew from Angola and encourage you to follow the story through other virtual potluck recipes like Poulet Creole from Haiti and Pollo Guisado from Puerto Rico.
Muamba Chicken also known as Muamba de Galina is Angola’s national dish. Angolan dishes have many Portuguese influences. Portuguese colonization of various lands and people created the colony of Angola. The Portuguese occupied the land that is now Angola for over 400 years. Angola was a Portugese colony until 1975 when Angola gained its in independence. The Portuguese influenced the use of olive oil and the peri-peri pepper in Angola.
The Story
Muamba Chicken is a chicken stew. With family and friends from the south, I’m used to a good stewed chicken. While still a chicken stew, Muambe Chicken is slightly different from the chicken stews I ate growing up. There are just those dishes that instantly take you back to a moment in time, Muamba Chicken is one of those dishes for me.
I remember taking a trip down south. That trip was memorable because it was the first time I saw my great aunt, my grandmother’s sister, go get a chicken from the yard, pluck the feathers, and that was dinner for the night. Though I was born in New York my grandmother who lived with us was a South Carolinian. She would work most days but on those off days, usually, a Sunday, she was in the kitchen. On Sundays, dinner would be started before I could even open my eyes. One of the dishes my grandmother would always cook was stewed chicken. That tender chicken falling off the bone was a treat. Comfort food always brings up feelings of nostalgia. Needless to say I was drawn to Muamba Chicken stew.
The Ingredients
Muamba Chicken stew is a tomatoey, garlicky chicken stew. Fairly simple ingredients come together to create a flavor-filled one-pot dish. The recipe calls for chicken, palm oil, garlic, onions, tomatoes, and pumpkin, spiced and seasoned to perfection.
I used palm oil in my recipe. I have seen variations of the recipe using palm cream and palm butter. I found the palm oil at my local African market. In terms of vegetables, I chose to go with frozen okra, pumpkin, and red cherry peppers. For a bit of spice, the peri-peri pepper is used in traditional Angolan dishes. I tried a variety of peppers but ultimately went with the red cherry pepper which gave nice spice, when the seeds are added, and sweetness. For my palette two peppers gave the stew heavy medium spice. If you prefer less spice, use less peppers, discard the seeds, or eliminate the peppers. Okra serves as a nice thickener for soups and stews. In addition to the palm oil, I located nice large slices of pumpkin at the African market. If pumpkin is not available butternut squash or acorn squash are good alternative options.
Muamba Chicken stew can be eaten alone but is traditionally served with funge. Funge can be made by adding cassava or corn flour to boiling water and stirring until you reach the right consistency. I steamed some cassava to enjoy with my Muamba Chicken, but white rice would also work just as well.
Ingredients
Method
- Rinse and clean 2 ½ pounds of chicken. After rinsing with cold water, I clean my chicken by rubbing all pieces of chicken with half a lemon.
- Sprinkle and rub into the chicken 3 Tbsp fine sea salt (I use Pink Himalayan), ½ Tsp of black pepper, and ½ Tsp of garlic powder.
- Marinade your chicken for 15 minutes at least, overnight is fine also.
- While the chicken is marinating, chop 1 small onion, 2 small tomatoes, slice 2 red cherry peppers with seeds, slice 2 cloves of garlic, and pull the leaves from a sprig of thyme.
- Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat.
- Add in 1 Tbsp of olive oil.
- Once the oil is warm, add in the chicken and brown each side, for about 10 minutes.
- Leaving the pot on, take the chicken out and set it aside.
- Add 1 ½ Tbsp of palm oil to the pot and stir.
- Add in the chopped onion, 2 bullion cubes, sliced red cherry peppers, 2 Tbsp of tomato paste, 2 chopped tomatoes, 2 Tbsp of peanut butter, 2 cloves of sliced garlic, and thyme.
- Stir, scraping the bottom, drop in the 3 bay leaves and continue to simmer on medium-low for 10 minutes.
- While the stew is simmering, dice 2 C of pumpkin.
- After 10 minutes, add the chicken back to the pot and the pumpkin.
- Pour in three cups of water, or enough to cover the chicken.
- Simmer for 20 minutes covered on medium-low.
- Taste and add additional seasonings if necessary. (I added another ¼ Tsp of salt and ½ Tsp of garlic powder here, I am a garlic fan.)
- Pour in 1 C of okra.
- Simmer for another 20 minutes covered on medium-low.
- Enjoy your Muamba Chicken stew!
Discover more from Flights and Foods
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
5,672 Comments
nagaempire
A person essentially help to make seriously articles I would state. This is the first time I frequented your website page and thus far? I surprised with the research you made to make this particular publish incredible. Magnificent job!
rtp sewu88slot
I adore foregathering useful info, this post has got me even more info! .
sewu88slot link resmi
Hello! I just wanted to ask if you ever have any issues with hackers? My last blog (wordpress) was hacked and I ended up losing a few months of hard work due to no data backup. Do you have any methods to stop hackers?
sewa mobil jakarta
Keep up the superb piece of work, I read few articles on this website and I think that your site is very interesting and contains sets of superb information.
nagaempire
I got what you mean ,saved to fav, very nice website .
sewa mobil jakarta barat
I used to be very happy to find this web-site.I needed to thanks in your time for this excellent learn!! I definitely enjoying each little little bit of it and I’ve you bookmarked to take a look at new stuff you weblog post.
audifort tinnitus
Tired of Tinnitus or Hearing Problems? Here’s a Natural Solution That’s Changing Lives Are you constantly bothered by ringing in the ears (tinnitus), hearing difficulties, or sound clarity issues?
audifort
Tired of Tinnitus or Hearing Problems? Here’s a Natural Solution That’s Changing Lives Are you constantly bothered by ringing in the ears (tinnitus), hearing difficulties, or sound clarity issues?
一代工務店最悪欠陥住宅
Today, I went to the beach with my children. I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She put the shell to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear. She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is completely off topic but I had to tell someone!
prediksi hk hari ini
Good ?V I should definitely pronounce, impressed with your website. I had no trouble navigating through all tabs as well as related information ended up being truly easy to do to access. I recently found what I hoped for before you know it in the least. Quite unusual. Is likely to appreciate it for those who add forums or anything, web site theme . a tones way for your client to communicate. Excellent task..
prediksi togel terbaru
This is the right blog for anyone who wants to find out about this topic. You realize so much its almost hard to argue with you (not that I actually would want…HaHa). You definitely put a new spin on a topic thats been written about for years. Great stuff, just great!
一代工務店最悪欠陥住宅
There are some interesting points in time on this article but I don’t know if I see all of them center to heart. There’s some validity but I will take maintain opinion till I look into it further. Good article , thanks and we wish extra! Added to FeedBurner as properly
4d
This really answered my problem, thank you!
filigrana
That is the correct weblog for anybody who needs to find out about this topic. You realize a lot its virtually laborious to argue with you (not that I actually would need…HaHa). You undoubtedly put a brand new spin on a subject thats been written about for years. Great stuff, just great!
prostadine reviews
PROSTADINE is truly unlike anything you’ve ever encountered in your life. It stands as the sole droplet solution that incorporates nine potent natural ingredients, working in perfect synergy to safeguard the health and mineral balance of your prostate well into your golden years.
一代工務店最悪欠陥住宅
I’m impressed, I must say. Really not often do I encounter a weblog that’s both educative and entertaining, and let me tell you, you’ve hit the nail on the head. Your concept is excellent; the problem is one thing that not enough persons are speaking intelligently about. I am very blissful that I stumbled across this in my seek for one thing relating to this.
alexaslot138
I must convey my affection for your kindness in support of persons who really want guidance on in this situation. Your special commitment to passing the message all around has been definitely advantageous and has without exception allowed employees just like me to attain their goals. Your entire important report indicates this much to me and even further to my colleagues. Many thanks; from all of us.
alexaslot138
Very interesting subject , regards for putting up.
Ice water hack to lose weight
The ice water hack is a simple trick that involves using cold water to naturally activate your body’s thermogenic process. When you drink ice water, your body has to work harder to regulate its temperature, burning extra calories in the process.
raja botak
Wow! Thank you! I permanently wanted to write on my website something like that. Can I take a portion of your post to my website?