Chicken Moambe, Plantain Fufu and Pundu: A Taste of Central Africa at Home

 

Moambe chicken (also called poulet à la moambe or muamba nsusu) is one of the great culinary icons of Central Africa, especially in Congo, Gabon and Angola. Slow cooked chicken in a rich palm nut sauce, served with soft plantain fufu and a vibrant green side of pundu (cassava leaves). Comfort food and a dish that brings the table together.

Moambe chicken is deeply rooted in Congolese food culture, where palm fruit is considered both a cooking ingredient and a symbol of hospitality. The word moambe refers to the thick, red palm-nut sauce that forms the soul of the dish. Variations exist across the region: in Angola it’s called muamba de galinha, in Gabon it’s often served with rice or cassava, and in the two Congos it traditionally comes with fufu and pundu. Despite local differences, the dish always represents sharing, family meals, and the flavours of the Congo River basin. It is quite popular in Belgium due to our colonial heritage.

Ingredients

For the chicken moambe

• 1 whole chicken cut in pieces (or 1.2 kg thighs/drumsticks)

• 2 onions, chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, crushed

• 1 fresh tomato, diced (or 100 g tomato passata)

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 400 g moambe / palm nut cream (called sauce graine)

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1 small chilli (optional)

• 1 cube chicken stock or 300 ml broth

• 2 tbsp peanut butter

• Salt, black pepper, oil

For the plantain fufu

• 3–4 very ripe plantains (almost black)

• 1 tbsp butter or a splash of neutral oil

• Pinch of salt

For the pundu (saka-saka)

• 400 g cassava leaves (fresh or frozen)

• 1 onion, sliced

• 2 cloves garlic

• a spoon of peanut butter

• A little palm oil or neutral oil

• Salt and chilli to taste

Method

1. Brown the chicken pieces in a little oil until golden. Remove and set aside.

2. In the same pot, sauté onion and garlic. Add tomato, tomato paste and paprika. Cook a few minutes to concentrate the flavour.

3. Return chicken to the pot. Add palm-nut cream, stock, chilli and peanut butter if using. Simmer gently 45–60 min until the sauce thickens and the chicken is tender. Adjust salt and pepper.

Plantain fufu

1. Peel the plantains, cut into chunks and boil until completely soft.

2. Drain, then mash or pound until smooth and elastic. Add a touch of butter or oil to help the texture. Shape into balls or a single mound.

Pundu

1. Boil cassava leaves 20–30 minutes to soften (if already pre-cooked, shorten the time).

2. Drain, then sauté with onion and garlic. Add coconut milk or peanut butter and a spoon of palm oil. Season with salt and chilli and simmer 10 more minutes.

Serving

Moambe is traditionally eaten with the fingers, using fufu to scoop the sauce. 

Serve the chicken with its deep red palm-nut gravy, a spoonful of pundu on the side, and the warm plantain fufu as the starch. 

A little piri-piri if you like the heat 🌶️

A cold beer or a glass of palm wine completes the experience.