Moamba de Galinha — Angola's National Dish in Red Palm Oil, Seed Oil Free

By Savannah Ryan — The Foodie Kitchen

Moamba de Galinha is Angola's national dish — a chicken stew built on red palm oil, peanut butter and okra that produces one of the richest, most distinctive sauces in African cooking. The palm oil gives it a vivid golden colour and a deep earthy flavour. The peanut butter adds creaminess. The okra thickens everything into a sauce that clings to rice and absorbs into every grain. This is ancestral African cooking at its most direct — no seed oils were ever part of this tradition. Red palm oil is one of the original MAHA fats.

This recipe comes from Savor Africa by Savannah Ryan. Find more in the African recipes collection and the chicken recipes collection.

Red Palm Oil — The Original MAHA Fat

Unrefined red palm oil is one of the most nutrient-dense cooking fats available. It contains tocotrienols — a form of vitamin E more potent than tocopherols — alongside beta-carotene, CoQ10 and a balanced ratio of saturated and monounsaturated fats that make it chemically stable at cooking temperatures. According to PubMed research, unrefined red palm oil contains significantly higher concentrations of carotenoids than any vegetable or seed oil. West Africa has cooked with it for centuries. It is not a substitution in this recipe — it is the authentic, correct, ancestral fat.

Use unrefined red palm oil — available at African grocery stores and online. The refined version has had its colour, flavour and most of its nutritional value removed. The Weston A. Price Foundation documents extensively how traditional populations using unrefined palm oil had exceptional cardiovascular health markers.

Angolan Moamba de Galinha — Seed Oil Free

Serves 4 | Prep 15 minutes | Cook 55 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unrefined red palm oil · 1 medium onion, chopped · 3 cloves garlic, minced · 2 tomatoes, chopped · 1 red bell pepper, chopped · 1 teaspoon smoked paprika · 1 teaspoon ground cumin · 1 teaspoon ground coriander · 1 teaspoon black pepper · 1 teaspoon salt · 500g bone-in chicken pieces · 2 cups good chicken stock · 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter (no added sugar or oil) · 1 cup okra, sliced into rounds · 1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced (optional) · Fresh cilantro to finish

Method:

1. Heat the palm oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. The colour is extraordinary — deep orange-red. Add onion and garlic, cook 5 minutes until fragrant. Add tomatoes, red pepper, paprika, cumin, coriander, black pepper and salt. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables soften and the spices bloom in the fat.

2. Add chicken pieces and turn to coat in the spiced palm oil. Brown on all sides — 8 to 10 minutes. The palm oil will stain the chicken deep gold.

3. Pour in chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat, cover and cook 30 to 40 minutes until chicken is completely tender.

4. Stir in the peanut butter until fully dissolved into the sauce. Add the okra and sweet potato if using. Simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes until the vegetables are soft and the sauce has thickened.

5. Taste and adjust seasoning. Finish with fresh cilantro and serve over rice.

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