Traditional Angola food recipes are one of the tastiest cuisines in Southern Africa. Their dishes represent different traditions across different parts of the country.
Popular Angola Food Recipes
Here are some of the Angola food recipes you should try at home.
Calulu de Peixe: Calulu, which means fish and vegetable stew, is a well-known food from Angola with a Brazilian influence. Its original preparation involves dried fish, palm oil, tomatoes, eggplant okra, and onions. However, there are different preparation variations. It is served with Funge, boiled yam, or rice.
Cachupa: Cachupa is originally Cape Verde’s traditional meal. It’s regarded as a poor man’s meal, despite its uniqueness. It has various versions, but the Angolan version has cabbage, cassava, sausage, bacon, potatoes, and beans. It’s mostly eaten at dinner, but Angolans usually reheat its leftover Cachupa and serve it with other foods for breakfast.
Mufete: Mufete hails from Angola’s Luanda region and is mainly prepared during celebrations like weddings. Mufete is made using grilled fish, boiled plantain, sweet potatoes, onions, and flour. It is eaten at dinnertime or on weekends since it’s a heavy meal.
Cachupa: This meal is originally from Portugal. It’s prepared using sausages, onions, garlic, tomato sauce, and boiled eggs. The dish can be served with Funge and eaten for lunch or dinner.
Caldeirada de Cabrito: Cabrito is a goat meat stew, a popular ingredient in Angola. The dish is a favorite at parties, weddings, and other festivities. It is made by cooking goat meat with herbs and onions. You can add some Piri Piri (chili) for spiciness or plantains to make the meal sweeter. It is served with Funge, rice, kizaca, or other traditional dishes.
1. Muamba de Galinha – Angolan Chicken Stew
A deep plate holds pieces of chicken on the bone, partially covered by thick, reddish-orange palm oil sauce. The sauce is glossy with specks of spice and oil separation. Chunks of vegetables like okra are visible. The chicken skin is slightly browned, and the stew looks dense and richly layered.
2. Cachupa – Sausage Stew
A bowl filled with thick stew made of sliced sausages, corn kernels, beans, and root vegetables. The sausages are circular with browned edges, contrasting against the yellow corn and red peppers. Everything is slightly submerged in a reddish broth, with some elements sitting above the surface, creating a textured mix.
3. Cabrito – Goat Meat Stew
Thick, deep-brown stew surrounds chunks of goat meat and bones in a ceramic bowl. The surface is oily and glistening with red-orange streaks. Pieces of tomato, onion, and green herbs float around the meat. The goat chunks are irregular and partially submerged, with a rich, slow-cooked look and soft edges.
4. Mufete – Cacusso Fish
A whole grilled cacusso fish lies on a large platter. Its skin is charred and scored with grill marks. Surrounding it are slices of avocado, boiled plantains, onions, and fresh tomato wedges. The colors are earthy and vibrant—greens, yellows, and reds—arranged symmetrically around the dark, grilled fish centerpiece.
You Might Also Try 33 Delicious Traditional Egyptian Recipes For You
5. Makayabu – Salted Cod With Sauteed Vegetables
Golden-brown fried salted cod fillets are placed over a bed of sautéed vegetables. The vegetables include sliced red bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes. Everything glistens with oil. The fish appears slightly crisp around the edges. The plate has a mix of reds, yellows, and golden hues from the cooked ingredients.
6. Funge – Cassava Porridge
A smooth, thick white mound shaped like a dome sits on a flat plate. The surface is glossy and slightly elastic, with no visible grain. Its consistency resembles firm mashed potatoes or mochi. It’s typically served beside darker-colored stews or sauces to contrast with the clean, neutral visual tone.
7. Piri Piri Sauce – Red Chili Peppers Sauce
A bright red, glossy sauce fills a small glass jar. Seeds and minced chili flakes are visible in the mixture. The surface appears slightly oily, with bits of garlic and pepper skin suspended throughout. Often placed next to grilled meat or in a dipping dish with a vibrant, fiery color.
8. Angola Farofa – Toasted Cassava Flour
Dry, golden-brown toasted cassava flour fills a shallow bowl. The texture is crumbly and slightly coarse, with tiny flecks of onion and parsley scattered throughout. Some parts are darker from pan toasting. Served as a side, it’s often shown in a mound next to meats or stews on a plate.
You Might Also Try 25 Traditional Ethiopian Recipes for Healthy Meals (2022)
9. Calulu de Peixe – Fish And Vegetable Stew
Angolan Calulu de Peixe Fish Vegetable Stew Recipe
A rich Angola recipe, multicolored mix of vegetables and fish chunks in a deep brown sauce. Bits of okra, tomato, and spinach are visible, with fish pieces maintaining their form. The dish is oily with a glossy surface and often garnished with red pepper slices. Served in large bowls or deep clay pots.
One of the main ingredients it needs is the okra. Another main ingredient is the whitefish either codfish or tilapia. Unlike this recipe, calulu is traditionally made with dried fish.
10. Kizaca – Cassava Leaves Stew
Dark green, leafy stew with a thick, paste-like consistency. Cassava leaves are finely shredded, appearing fibrous and dense and a staple Angola recipe. Small bits of palm oil create orange streaks on the surface. Often served in bowls with a glossy finish, accompanied by neutral-colored side dishes like rice or steamed cassava.
11. Chikuanga – Angolan Cassava Bread
Wrapped in dark green banana leaves, the bread is pale white with a dense, smooth texture once unwrapped. Tubular or rectangular in shape, with faint leaf markings impressed on the exterior. Slightly shiny from steaming. Typically this Angola recipe is served whole or sliced on wooden boards alongside simple garnishes or sauce.
12. Fumbua – Wild Spinach Stew
Fumbua is a food made from leaves found in tropical forests in Africa. These leaves only grow naturally, and people cannot cultivate them. This Angola recipe also contains tomatoes, onions, palm oil, and ground peanuts.
It is a specialty in the North of Angola and is favored by the people here. Besides, Congo is also the nation where this food is popular. Fumbua contains many vitamins and is often eaten with Funge, Bagre Fumado, and Chickuanga.
You Might Also Try 21 Great Traditional Moroccan Recipe
13. Caldo De Peixe – Fish Stew
An Angola recipe with a reddish-orange broth filled with chunks of white fish, tomato slices, and onions. Garnished with green herbs floating on the surface. The stew appears oily with a glossy finish and visible pepper seeds. Often served in deep bowls with the fish partly submerged, bones and skin intact for a rustic look.
14. Catatos – Angolan Caterpillar
Plated fried caterpillars with a dark brown, wrinkled exterior and slightly curled shapes and a delicacy in Angola recipes. They appear crispy and are often arranged in a circle or piled in a bowl. Garnished with sliced onions or leafy greens. The presentation is earthy, with wooden or clay plates adding a natural, traditional look.
15. Cocada Amarela – Angolan Coconut Custard
Angola recipe for a smooth, dense yellow custard in shallow glass or ceramic dishes. The surface has a glossy finish with occasional toasted brown patches. Thin coconut shreds are blended into the base and barely visible. Often served sliced in squares, showing uniform texture and a firm edge with a pale yellow core.
16. Pineappoe Kissangua
A translucent amber or golden liquid served in glass jugs or cups. Floating pineapple pulp or tiny fruit bits are visible. Bubbles line the top, indicating fermentation. The drink has a cloudy base with sediment settled at the bottom. Often displayed in glass containers with condensation and rustic table settings.
You Might Also Try 22 Fabulous Moroccan Tagine Recipes
17. Bolo de Ginguba – Peanut Sponge Cake
Bolo de Ginguba is the best of the traditional Angola recipes for Peanut Sponge Cake. Although desserts are not the most typical eats in Angolan cuisine as fresh fruit is the preferred dessert of choice, they are some unique treats like Bolo de Ginguba that are quite great.
18. Pé de Moleque – Peanut ad Caramel Candy
Golden-brown, irregularly shaped candy chunks with a glossy, caramelized surface. Crushed peanuts are visibly embedded, giving a textured, crunchy look. Pieces are slightly sticky, clumped in uneven mounds. Often served in small piles on parchment or wooden boards, with a rustic, hand-formed appearance and light sugar crystal dusting appearance in this Angola recipe.