Moambe Chicken with Yam Fufu and Fried Plantains

Speak to anyone from Brussels and they'll tell you that one of its most endearing qualities is its diversity.

This is in some ways not surprising. Brussels began life as a trading post on the crossroads to the richer cities of Antwerp and Ghent. Over the centuries waves of people settled in Brussels and today the city boasts communities from around the world - from Italy to Ireland, Portugal, Morocco, Turkey and plenty more besides.

The rich diversity of its people has permeated the fabric of the city. As a result no two neighbourhoods of Brussels are the same, each one of the 19 "communes" offering their own unique set of qualities, history and sense of place.

And of course Brussels is much more than the chocolate-boxey medieval centre with its cobbled streets and statues of peeing boys.

Ixelles is the trendy hub for expats packed with happening restaurants and hipster bars. Bustling St Gilles is famous for its art nouveau buildings and Portuguese quarter which comes alive whenever Portugal or Benfica play football. Hilly St Josse is synonymous with Brussels's Turkish community. Chic and trendy Louise full of designer shops and pricey apartments. Woluwe and Uccle the leafy boltholes of choice for the wealthy suburbanites. And so on. Walking from one neighbourhood and - within fleeting moments - emerging into another that feels, looks and even smells different is one of the subtle pleasures of living in Brussels.

And arguably nowhere does this absorbent quality feel more tangible than Matongé, Brussels's celebrated Congolese quarter.

It is in reality just a few streets sandwiched between the EU quarter and Louise but Matongé - called after its namesake in Kinshasa - feels instantly and refreshingly real.

It swaps the Eurocrat greyness for a big exotic splash of Congolese colour and rhythms. Women wrapped in turbans and electrifying yellow and green dresses shop for groceries or chat from doorframes in sing-song Lingala. Men argue on street corners and sip beers from bars playing loud soukous music. Balls of hair roll out of hairdressers and wig emporiums. Meanwhile a vibrant cornucopia of food shops sells everything from black plantains, ripe mangos and hairy yams to boxes brimming with fiery red scotch bonnet peppers and spiky green aloe vera leaves.

What started as a small enclave of Congolese students in the 1950s has evolved to become one of Brussels's most wonderfully enticing neighbourhoods - and the beating heart of Central and West African culture in Belgium. It is definitely worth a visit for anyone visiting Brussels.

If you're hungry in Matongé make sure to head to Soleil d'Afrique (Rue Longue Vie 10) or Le Dakar (Ch. de Wavre 134) for some excellent moambe or mafe chicken - and of course a big side of sugary fried plantains! Grab a table outside when it's sunny and spend some lazy hours soaking in the sunshine and the noise in this little pocket of Africa in Brussels.

Ingredients (serves 4)

For the Moambe chicken:

4 chicken thighs

1 medium onion (chopped)

1 large thumb ginger (chopped)

2 garlic cloves (chopped)

1 tbs brown sugar

2 tbs tomato paste

200ml chopped tomatoes

100ml water

2 tbs peanut butter

200ml coconut milk

1 tbs red wine vinegar

4 tbs palm oil

Salt

For the Suya spice mix:

2 tbs roasted peanuts

1 tbs chicken stock powder

1 tbs smoked paprika

1 ts ground ginger

1/2 ts cayenne pepper

1/2 ts ground fennel

1/2 ts garlic powder

1/2 ts ground white pepper

1/2 ts ground black pepper

For the yam fufu:

1 medium yam (peeled and cut into cubes)

1 ts ground black pepper

1 ts salt

For the rice:

500g long grain rice

1 medium onion (chopped)

1 red bell pepper (chopped)

2 large tomatoes (deseeded, chopped)

2 bay leaves

Fresh thyme

1 tbs curry powder

1 tbs tomato paste

1/2 ts black pepper

1/2 ts salt

500ml chicken stock

For the fried plantains:

2 ripe plantains

1 tbs brown sugar

2 tbs palm oil

Preparation (1h30 cooking time; 2h min. marinading)

For the Moambe chicken:

1. Make the Suya spice mix. Blend all the Suya ingredients together in a food processor or using a pestle and mortar.

2. Season the chicken with salt and half the Suya mix. Leave to marinade in the fridge for at least two hours, or ideally overnight.

3. In a food processor blend the onion, ginger and garlic to make the Moambe sauce base. Set aside.

4. In a large frying pan on high heat melt 3 tbs of palm oil and sear the chicken on all sides. Remove and set aside.

5. In the same pan, turn heat to medium and melt 1 tbs palm oil. Add the Moambe sauce base and remaining Suya mix and stir well. Add the brown sugar, tomato paste, chopped tomatoes and water. Stir and leave to simmer for 10min or until reduced by half. Add the peanut butter, coconut milk, red wine vinegar and chicken. Turn heat to low and cook for 20min, covered, until the chicken is cooked through.

6. Garnish with crushed peanuts - and serve!

For the yam fufu:

7. Place the yam in a pot and cover with water. Add salt. Bring to the boil and cook for 15min or until the yams are cooked through and soft to touch. Drain and set aside.

8. Once cooled transfer the yams to a food processor. Add salt and pepper to taste. Blend until the yams stick together in a single solid lump - the fufu.

9. Take a piece of fufu and roll into a golfball with your hands. Repeat until you have 10-15 fufu balls.

For the rice:

10. Preheat the oven to 180C (356F).

11. Blend the onion, red pepper and tomatoes in a food processor. Add the contents to an ovenproof pot. Gently simmer the contents on medium heat for 10min, stirring occasionally.

12. Add the bay leaves, thyme, curry powder, tomato paste, black pepper and salt. Pour in the stock and simmer for 10min or until reduced by half. Add the rice and stir in.

13. Cover the pot and place in the oven. Bake for 30min.

For the fried plantains:

14. Peel the plantains by chopping the ends, making a slit with a knife lengthwise from top to bottom, and then parting the skin back like curtains (don't peel it like a banana!). Chop the plantain into thick diagonal pieces.

15. Melt 2 tbs of palm oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Add the plantain and sprinkle with brown sugar. Fry for 2min on each side until golden brown.

TIP: You can find most of these ingredients including all fresh produce, ready-made Suya mixes and bottles of palm oil at any of the African food shops lining Ch. de Wavre on the Porte de Namur side. Good ones are African Exotic Matongé and Best Africa.