Gabonese Sauce Odika

Ingredients

• 3 lbs chicken pieces
• 1/2 cup ground odika (dika/ogbono) seeds
• 2 tbsp palm oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-inch piece ginger, minced
• 2 red chilies, minced, to taste
• 2 stock cubes
• 1 cup sliced okra, optional
• Salt to taste
• Cooked rice or boiled plantain, for serving

Before you cook

• If starting from whole odika seeds, dry-roast them gently in a pan until fragrant, then grind to a paste.
• Chop the onion, garlic, ginger and chilies finely.
• Trim and slice the okra, if using.

Steps

1. Heat the palm oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
2. Brown the chicken pieces in batches, about 8 minutes, then set them aside.
3. Add the onion to the pot and cook for 5 minutes until softened.
4. Stir in the garlic, ginger and chilies and cook for 1 minute.
5. Return the chicken to the pot along with the crumbled stock cubes.
6. Pour in 2 cups of water, bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 25 minutes until the chicken is tender.
7. Spoon a cup of the hot broth into a bowl and whisk in the ground odika paste until smooth.
8. Stir the smoothed odika mixture back into the pot.
9. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce thickens and turns glossy.
10. Stir in the sliced okra, if using, and simmer for 5 more minutes.
11. Taste and adjust the salt and chili before serving hot with rice or boiled plantain.