ANGOLA

COUNTRY	Angola
Dishes	Kizaka, Funge, Chicken Muamba, Cornmeal mash
Time	1.30 hours for everything
Effort	5
Rough cost	£10 in total

COUNTRY	Angola
Capital	Luanda
Population	25, 789, 024
Land mass	1, 246, 700 km2 (22nd largest)
Languages	Portuguese (official)
Religions	Roman Catholic

THOUGHTS

There is still strong evidence of Angola’s Portuguese history in the cuisine and their national dish, Chicken Muamba, is a fragrant, rich dish flavoured strongly with smoked paprika and garlic but with the colourful addition of squash, okra and served with cornmeal mash. A real fusion dish and absolutely delicious. It is also very easy to make – the hardest bit is jointing the chicken. I got the butcher to cut mine up, but you could easily use chicken pieces, like chicken thighs. We got stuck into this dish on a cold, windy January night and the vibrant colours, amazing aromas and complex flavours really chased away the winter blues. Enjoy.

Bridget made Kizaka, which is one of the most popular vegetarian dishes in Angola. Traditionally, it is made with boiled cassava leaves, a staple crop of Angola. The flour of the cassava is used to make funge, which locals will enjoy as a porridge for breakfast or a mash potato type side dish. However, cassava actually was brought to Angola from Brazil. Also, the dish itself actually originates from Portugal, of which Angola used to be a colony. This dish was very easy to make and there are lots of variations. Why not try kizaka com piexe, which adds steamed white fish and tomatoes.

Why not cook both kizaka and muamba and serve them with together, with the funge or cornmeal mash! We would love to get a picture of anything you prepare!

RECIPES

Muamba de Galinha (Chicken Muamba)

Ingredients

To marinate chicken:

3 – 3½ pound chicken cut in pieces (or bone-in pieces like chicken thighs)
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp minced garlic
1 ½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp smoked paprika
Salt to taste

To cook chicken:

3 tbsp. vegetable oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 good sized onions, sliced
2 big tomatoes, diced
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
Whole hot pepper pierced (chilli, Scotch bonnet) or ¼ – ½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ pound butternut squash cut into large cubes
18 small Okra, sliced in half
2 cups (or more) chicken broth
Salt to taste

Method

Place chicken in a large bowl or saucepan, rub with lemon juice, then add salt, garlic, smoked paprika, thyme and pepper. Mix chicken pieces with a spoon or with hands until they are well coated, set aside to marinade while you prepare the vegetables (or longer, if you prefer).
When ready to cook, heat up large saucepan with the vegetable oil, then add the chicken pieces and brown both sides for about 4-5 minutes. Be careful not to burn the chicken as it will give a bitter flavour. If it is all getting a bit hot, take off the heat and add a little stock to cool everything down.
Add garlic, chili pepper and smoked paprika, stir for about a minute then add onions and tomatoes, sauté 2-3 minutes. Again, add a little chicken stock if necessary to prevent any burns.
Next add chicken stock (about 2 cups or enough to cover chicken) and then the squash. Bring to a boil and let it simmer until sauce thickens, it might take about 20 minutes or more.
Throw in okra, continue cooking until desired texture is reached about 5 minutes or more
Adjust for salt, pepper and stew consistency.
Serve warm with Cornmeal mash or rice.

Cornmeal Mash

Cornmeal mash is very easy to make. In East Africa it is called ugali but has lots of different names all over Africa. It is a very common staple and is similar to polenta from Italy.

Bring 2 cups of salted water to the boil (enough for 3 people). Add 1 cup of cornmeal in a steady stream, beating constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Stir vigorously for several minutes until you have a smooth, stiff mixture which you can tip into a round, oiled serving dish. It will quickly set and you can slice it into wedges. It makes a delicious side dish.

Kizaka (vegan)

Ingredients

1 large spring greens / collard greens / cassava leaves
3/4 cup of peanuts
1 onion, finely sliced
a bit of boiling water + veg stock
1 chilli (optional)

Method

Fry the onion in some hot oil. Feel free to add garlic at this point too.
Add the chopped greens, peanuts and chilli and mix.
Reduce the heat and cook for about 3 minutes.
Add a bit of veg stock water. The aim is to achieve a thick stew consistency. Allow it to cook down until you think its ready. *I served this with the funge and some cooked sweet potato chunks.

Funge (cassava flour porridge)

Ingredients

2 cups cassava flour
2 cups boiling water
2 cups cold water
salt + pepper to taste

Method

Bring 2 cups of water to the boil.
Whisk the cassava with the remaining cold water until it is smooth.
Add this into the hot water, quickly reduce the heat and stir the mix until it is a smooth consistency (I did not achieve this). Add extra hot water if it is too thick.
Add salt and pepper to taste. *I won’t lie – this was a weird texture. However, when it was hot and served with the rest of the meal, it was strangely pleasant. Bridget’s friends enjoyed it too.

Obrigado and see you in Antigua! M + B