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Poulet à la Moambé (Congolese Palm Nut Chicken Stew)

Name: Poulet à la Moambé (Congolese Palm Nut Chicken Stew)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: DR Congo
Ingredients: 1200 g bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks; 400 g canned palm nut concentrate (moambé/mwamba paste); 2 piece medium yellow onions, finely chopped; 4 clove garlic, minced; 15 g fresh ginger, grated; 2 tbsp red palm oil; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 piece whole scotch bonnet chili (habanero), left intact; 400 ml warm water or low-sodium chicken broth; 1 tsp sea salt; 0.5 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Tender chicken braised in rich, velvet palm butter sauce infused with garlic, hot scotch bonnet, and aromatic Congolese spices.

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one-potpoultryspicygluten-freecomfort-food

The story

Widely revered across the Congo River basin as the quintessential national plate, Poulet à la Moambé traces its culinary lineage to pre-colonial methods of extracting oil from the pericarp of Elaeis guineensis palm fruits. In Kinshasa, it is the centerpiece of Sunday family gatherings and festive celebrations, served alongside cassava leaves (pondu) and steaming chikwange. The dish exemplifies the Central African mastery of blending unrefined palm fat with savory alliums and fiery chilies.

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