Around the World in Foodventures (Angola: MUAMBA DE GALINHA and FUNGE)

I felt strongly before I even started cooking this dish, just by reading ingredient lists and looking at finished product photos, that it was going to be delicious.   And I was right.  On top of that, I got to use a new-to-me ingredient.  And it was strange.  Details below this juicy photo....

So....first of all, one of the ingredients that the recipe (https://www.africanbites.com/muamba-chickenmuamba-de-galinha/) I worked from called for was Palm Oil -- and I simply wasn't going to use that given the controversy around it.  Instead, I put Ghee in its place.  I also used Sweet Potato instead of Butternut Squash, as the recipe suggested for an option.  (I do have Butternut Squash on hand, but it's already cut into small cubes and frozen and I didn't want to have the effect on texture that those factors would cause -- so I went with my fresh Sweet Potato.)  Finally, I will say that this recipe I was following was a bit wonky in terms of not being completely clear regarding amounts and at which points to add some of the ingredients -- so I simply went with my instincts and experience to do what I thought was most correct.  All of this worked out just fine, because in the end we had an excellent dinner.

As for the strange part....that's the side dish: Funge (http://viaja-en-mi-cocina-english.blogspot.com/2017/04/funge.html).  While very simple to make (if not a bit tiring for my arm muscles 😉), I didn't expect the incredibly sticky, stretchy, putty-like texture that cooked Cassava Flour results in (like, you can literally twirl this porridge around a fork!).  But it is what it is, serves its purpose as a meal base or filler quite well, and now I have the rest of the unused Cassava Flour to find other ways to use and experiment with -- which, isn't that what this whole journey is all about?

This post is part of my project: "Around the World in Foodventures" (I decided I want to expand my culinary horizons even further by making the national dish or a popular recipe, or some signature food or traditional meal from every country in the world. Maybe it'll happen alphabetically, or by region, in random order, or something else. I figure if we can't (yet?) travel everywhere, we at least have the luxury of being able to taste it. It’ll be fun and interesting, but obviously, will take a long time to get through -- as I'll only be doing it once a week or so at most. I am chronicling the journey here.)

“If I’m an advocate of anything, it’s to move…Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food.” --Tony Bourdain