Cachupa

I love cachupa; a hominy based stew with chicken, beans, sausages and other meats in a tomato and vegetable base. This is an Angolan dish that has many variations and everyone has their own way of making.  Some use greens as well while others go for just the hominy, chicken and one type of sausage.   The humbler ones, I think, are uncomplicated and better.


Not far from us, there is a very simple restaurant where I have eaten lunch several times with my husband since it is not far from his office either. This diner serves business men and other local workers and they usually have a variation of cachupa and it is always good. You serve yourself from the entreés, beans, rice and other sides and weigh your plate at the register. As I was taking the below picture of the entrance, a very stern-looking woman who emerged from the side of the building asked me brusquely if there was a problem. "No probem", I said and I was about to tell her how much I like the food here when she angrily replies "If there is a problem, I should know then!" There is really some kind of paranoia about picture taking in this country which I have yet to figure out.

Another place I like is not far either. I must admit that my husband was the brave one here since he ventured in with a colleauge. The entrance  does not look promising and the set up is simple: plastic tables and chairs, a tent shade, unmatched cutlery, but my, is the food good! With a side of rice and a cold Cuca beer, you can't go wrong with their cachupa!

I want to learn how to make it myself and take my maid, Maria,  to a giant grocery store to help me pick what we need. As you can see, the selection of sausages is huge. I am willing to try even the blood sausages, but I can not stomach the cow intestines. No matter, Maria says, it will still be good! As we shop, she tells me tha in the old days, this was usually served during wakes and some of the senior population still associates this dish with death.

The selection is astounding

We start our with a big pot and boil the hominy. This takes a couple of hours to soften at a simmer. In another pot, the meat (pork, chicken and beef) cook together with onion and tomatoes  and the greens, which remind of spinach, but are called "cove" are sweated out separately. The sausages are cut and added in at the end.

Our cachupa ingredients

Here you see three types of sausage pork, chicken, beef, beans, canned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, green bell peppers and greens. It is a one pot meal, easy and delicious. I must say I prefer without the greens since they do add a bit of bitterness. Some of the sausages are too fatty for my taste, but they do give a delicious flavor. We end up with an enormous amount since the kids thought the hominy was weird and I end up freezing half of it. Good to know I have an easy dinner ready for a day I don't feel like cooking!