REPUBLIC OF CONGO

This flag was adopted in 1959 to replace the French Tricolour. The colours are of the Pan-African movement, with the diagonal yellow band representing the “friendship and nobility” of the Congolese people.

COUNTRY	CONGO (republic of)
Dishes	Muamba nsusu (vegan)
Time	1 hour
Effort	5/10
Rough cost	£4

COUNTRY	CONGO (republic of)
Capital	Brazzaville
Population	5,244,359 (117th largest)
Land mass	342,000 km2 (64th largest)
Languages	French (official), Kituba, Kikongo, Lingala (recognised regional)
Religions	88.5% Christian

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

The Republic of Congo (also Congo, The Congo, Congo-Brazzaville) is a country on the West Coast of Central Africa. Bantu-speaking tribes were the earliest inhabitants of this area in around 1500 BC! Congo came under the control of French colonialism in 1880, gaining independence in 1960. The country then ended up under Soviet Eastern Bloc rule in 1977, which in time led to brutal civil war. In modern day, Congo has a multi-party political system and its economy prospers from the oil industry.

Congo’s national dish is moambe chicken, which we have made a type of from Benin. The peanut / palm nut stew is the moambe / mwambe sauce, which serves the basis for a variety of West African classic dishes. So, Bridget decided to cook the slightly different Muamba Nsusu, which uses this sauce to create more of a curry-type sauce, with spices and heat. It was absolutely delicious and was lovely with the soft texture of the tofu.

RECIPES

Muamba Nsusu (vegan)

INGREDIENTS

1 block of tofu, pressed and cubed (or 1 lbs chicken)
1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
6 tomatoes, chopped
1 large cup of spinach
1/2 cup of peanut butter (YUM)
1/2 veg broth
1 lemon, juiced
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
salt + pepper to taste
TO SERVE: rice / yam / fufu, spring onions, crushed peanuts

METHOD

Start by marinating the cubed tofu in a mix of the lemon juice, paprika, turmeric and chillies. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes.
Heat up some oil in a large pan and add the onions, cooking for around 3 minutes until softened. Add the tofu and let it fry-cook on one side for 2 minutes, then flip to the other side for another 2 minutes.
Add in the tomatoes, spinach and cumin and stir everything. Then let cook for 2-3 minutes. The tomatoes should break down.
Add in the vegetable broth and the peanut butter and mix it to incorporate everything to a smooth texture. Bring this to the boil and then simmer for 15-20 minutes, allowing some liquid to boil off.
Serve with rice

Merci Beaucoup and see you in Costa Rica! M + B x