Cachupa food is the favorite meal for the people living on the west coast of Africa. And ever since time immemorial, the dish has been the traditional food and still the national diet for the people of Cape Verde islands. Normally, the Cachupa cuisine which features a recipe of corns, beans, vegetables, cassava, and sweet potato, meat (beef, fish, mutton, or chicken) is cooked in different regional versions across the African west coast region.
The dish is loved by many and you will not only come across the sumptuous meal along the sideway cafes in Cape Verde islands but also in other islands along the west coast of Africa.
What Cachupa means to Cape Verdians
The people of Cape Verde love enjoying the Cachupa food with their family. They hold a belief that the Cachupa Rica food should be eaten in unison by a family that feels prosperous. And on this roundup, we are going to help you prepare your sumptuous Cachupa, right at the comfort of your home. And below is what you need.
Ingredients:
- One chicken(whole)
- Half cup full of shell beans
- Hominy two cups
- Kidney beans 1 cup
- Lima beans half cup
- ½ kgs of green peeled and chopped bananas
- ½ kgs of peeled sweet potatoes
- One sliced chourico (garlic spicy sausage)
- One cabbage medium sized ( coarsely chopped)
- 4 medium sized tomatoes
- Diced lean bacon ¼ kgs
- One medium sized onion, chopped
- One bay leave
- One sausage(optional)
- One medium sized butter nut, deseeded, peeled and chunked
- Garlic two cloves
- ½ kgs fresh peeled yam
- I kgs beef spareribs
- Coriander
Note that, when cooking the cahupa delicacy it is wise to avoid using spices like pepper if you are going to enjoy the meal with children.
Instructions
- Soak your hominy and beans overnight.
- Put five cups of water in a cooking pot. Add your onions, bay leaf, garlic , and olive oil to season it
- Bring your water to boil
- Drain all the water from your soaked beans and hominy then add them to the boiling water
- In a separate cooking pan prepare the vegetables and leave your tomatoes with the sausages, bacon, chourico and spareribs
- Chop your chicken into sizeable pieces and sauté it in olive oil
- Add your chopped tomatoes and stir for one minute
- Drain the water from your bean and hominy and add to your chicken
- Simmer it till your beans have a tender texture but not fully cooked
- Put your cooked beef and vegetables together with your chicken and cook it under low heat
- Before the Cachupa is ready add tomato paste and stir for one minute
- Sauté your garlic, and onions and add them inside
- Cook for about 20 minutes
- Once ready let it sit for 30 minutes before serving