Congolese Food: Moambe Chicken, Ngombe, Fufu, Pondu, Beignets, and Plantain

Inspired by our visit to Ma Yvé Grill in Pickering, we cooked up several homely & hearty dishes of Congo: ngombe (beef stew), moambe chicken, pondu, fufu, and beignets. Paired with sweet plantain, everything was absolutely delectable!

Congolese cooking involves a beautiful blend of patience, time, care, and connection with the ingredients from the land. As we share in these delicious flavours, we hold space for Congolese families everywhere—praying for a future where they can enjoy their food with peace, security and dignity.

Servings: 4

Time: 48 hours

MOAMBE CHICKEN, NGOMBE, & PEPPER SAUCE

Marinade for Nombe Beef and Moambe Chicken Ingredients

• Salt | 2 tablespoons

• Black Pepper | 2 tablespoons

• Garlic | 4 tablespoons

• Ginger | 4 tablespoons

• Sriracha | 2 tablespoons

• Tomato paste |

  
  
  
  

  2 tablespoons 

• Liquid Smoke | 2 teaspoons

• Curry powder | 2 tablespoons

• All Purpose Seasoning/ Adobo Seasoning | 2 tablespoons

• Paprika | 2 tablespoons

• Cayenne Powder | 2 teaspoons

Ngombe Ingredients

• Beef shank cut into two-inch chunks | 2 pounds 

• Bay Leaf | 1

• Maggi Cubes | 2

• Water | 2.5 cups

Moambe Chicken Ingredients

• 4 chicken legs

Pepper Sauce Ingredients

• Red Onion | 1

• Red Pepper | 2

• Tomatoes | 2

• Garlic clove | 3

• Scotch bonnet pepper | 2

• Water | ¼ cup

• Dried Thyme | 1 teaspoon

• Curry Powder

• Maggi Cubes | 2

• Liquid Smoke

• Tomato Paste | 1 teaspoon

• Beef stock (from ngombe recipe) | ¼ cup

Toppings for Ngombe and Moambe Chicken

• Red Onion | ½

• Green Pepper | 1 

• Red Pepper | 1

Pepper Sauce Directions

• Roughly chop the red onion, red pepper, tomatoes 

• Blend the chopped veggies with garlic cloves, scotch bonnet peppers and water

• Add the mixture to a large pan and add dried thyme, curry powder, maggi cubes, liquid smoke and tomato paste

Toppings Directions

• Thinly slice the red onion, red pepper and green pepper, then lightly saute on medium-heat.

Ngombe Directions

• Clean the beef with vinegar, lime and/or lemon juice.

• Marinate the beef with the marinade ingredients listed above. For each ingredient listed, put half of the measurement on the beef. Marinate overnight for more flavour.

• Add 3 tablespoons of cooking oil to a pot on medium-high heat. Add the beef shank and lightly brown.

• Then, cover the beef with 2.5 cups of water, add a bay leaf and two maggi cubes. 

• Then bring to a boil, cover the pot, then lower the heat to low and allow the beef to cook until tender, about 1.5-2 hours. Be sure to uncover the pot and check to make sure the water hasn’t dried up.

• Remove the beef from the pot and place in a colander to dry.

• Reserve the beef stock. You can add some of this to the pepper sauce, and some to the pondu. You can also cook this down and thicken to make a gravy.

• Brown the beef again and add about 1 cup of pepper sauce to the beef and top with the red onion, green pepper and red pepper. 

Moambe Chicken Directions

• Clean the chicken with vinegar, lime and/or lemon juice.

• Marinate the chicken with the marinade ingredients listed above. For each ingredient listed, put half of the measurement on the chicken. Marinate overnight for more flavour.

• Add about 2 tablespoons of cooking oil to a small pan, then lightly sear the chicken on all sides.  Add about 1 cup of pepper sauce to the chicken and cover the pot. Allow the chicken to cook, covered, until it reaches doneness, about 14 minutes (the internal temperature of the chicken should be 165°F).

• Uncover the chicken, remove from the stovetop, and top with the sauteed red onion, green pepper and red pepper. 

FUFU

Fufu Ingredients

• Semolina | 1 cup

• Cassava Flour | 1/2 cup

• Precooked White Cornmeal | ¼ cup

• Water | 4 cups

Fufu Directions

• Put 3 cups of water on medium-high heat in a pot

• In a bowl, mix ½ cup of semolina in 1 cup of warm water and stir until completely dissolved.

• Add the semolina you mixed into the pot of water and stir to incorporate.

• Little by little, add in another ½ cup of semolina into the pot and mix.

• Then add ½ cup of cassava flour little by little, stirring vigorously to incorporate.

• Add in ¼ cup of the cornmeal, stirring vigorously to incorporate.

• Keep stirring on high heat and add a tablespoon of water, scraping the sides to ensure everything is mixed together. 

• After a few minutes of stirring the mixture should be free of lumps.

• Working quickly to ensure optimal texture consistency, use a large spoon that is rinsed in water to scoop up about a cup of fufu and place in sheets of plastic wrap. 

• After placing the fufu in the plastic wrap, tie tightly to make a smooth ball. Repeat.

PONDU

Pondu Ingredients

• Cassava leaves | 1/2 pack

• Minced garlic | 2 tablespoons

• Blended Mix

  • Green pepper | 1

  • Leek | 1

  • Yellow Onions | 3

  • Eggplant | ½

  • Zucchini | 1

  • Garlic cloves | 3

  • Scotch bonnet pepper | 2

  • Green onion | 2 stems

  • Water | ¼ cup

• FIsh & Seasonings

  • Mackerel in tomato sauce | 1 can, such as Geisha or Africa Queen Brand

  • Smoked fish such as Panla | 2

  • Palm Oil (alternatives include butter or coconut oil) | ¾ cup

  • Liquid Smoke | 1 teaspoon

  • Curry powder | 1 tablespoon

  • Dried Thyme | 1 tablespoon

  • Cayenne Pepper | 1 tablespoon

  • Tomato paste | 2 tablespoons

  • Maggi cubes | 2 cubes

  • Beef stock (from ngombe recipe) | 1/2 cup

  • Pepper sauce (from pepper sauce recipe) | ¼ cup

Pondu Directions

• On medium heat, add 4 tablespoons of cooking oil to a large pot.

• Add two tablespoons of minced garlic and stir, before adding in the cassava leaves and stirring to incorporate everything.

• Roughly chop and blend the vegetables together: green pepper, leek, onions, garlic gloves, scotch bonnet peppers, green onion. Add water to help it blend. Blend in batches if needed.

• Add the blended vegetables to the cassava leaves.

• Lightly mash the mackerel and add to the cassava leaves.

• If dried, soak your smoked fish in water to rehydrate.

• Add the fish to the pot.

• Add your seasonings to the pondu, stir and cover and allow flavour to incorporate on low heat for at least one hour.

BEIGNETS

Beignets Ingredients

• Yeast | 2 tablespoons

• Warm water | ½ cup + 4 tablespoons

• Flour | 3 cups

• Salt | 1 teaspoon

• White Sugar | ¾ cup

• Baking powder | 1 tablespoon 

• Egg | 1

• Vanilla Essence | ½ teaspoon

• Milk | 1.5 cups

Beignets Directions

• Mix 2 tablespoons of yeast with 4 tablespoons of warm water and mix and let sit for a few minutes.

• Reserve a big bowl for all your dry ingredients.

• Add 3 cups of water to the bowl, followed by the salt, white sugar, and baking powder.

• Then add a well in the centre and add the yeast, followed by the egg, vanilla essence, milk and the rest of warm water.

• Mix everything together until smooth.

• Then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to sit for one hour.

• Heat a pot about halfway with oil on medium-low heat.

• Then using your hand (that is lightly floured) using your thumb and index finger to create a ball directly into the oil, or a spoon wet with oil, and take a scoop of beignet and cook on medium-low for about 2-3 minutes on each side to ensure the beignet is fully cooked on the inside.

PLANTAIN

Plantain Ingredients

• Plantains | 2

Plantain Directions

• Score the plantains along their side then peel off the outer layer.

• Diagonally slice the plantain to your desired thickness.

• Heat about ¼ cup of cooking oil in a pan on medium heat and fry the plantain slices until golden.