Caldo de Mancarra (Guinea-Bissau Peanut and Okra Stew)

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 50 minutes

Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Country of Origin

Guinea-Bissau

Description

Guinea-Bissau has one of the most distinctive culinary identities in West Africa, shaped by the country's diversity of ethnic groups, its Portuguese colonial history, and its extraordinary access to fresh seafood and river fish. Caldo de Mancarra is its most nourishing everyday dish: a thick peanut and okra stew with smoked fish and leafy greens that is cooked across the country's many rivers and estuaries. Mancarra is the Creole word for peanut, and the peanut base is the soul of this stew — rich, silky, and deeply warming. The okra thickens it further, the smoked fish adds depth, and the greens add color and a slight bitterness that balances the fat.

Presentation & How It's Eaten

Caldo de Mancarra is served in deep bowls over white rice or alongside boiled cassava. It is a humble, nourishing everyday dish — the kind of food that feeds a family well without ceremony.

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp smooth natural peanut butter (unsweetened)

• 200g fresh okra, trimmed and sliced into rounds

• 100g smoked dried fish, flaked and bones removed

• 100g fresh leafy greens (spinach or sweet potato leaves)

• 1 medium onion, finely diced

• 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 fresh chili pepper

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

• 600ml water

• Salt to taste

Step-by-Step Directions

1. Start the Base: Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and chili and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook, stirring, for 8 minutes until reduced.

2. Add Smoked Fish: Add the flaked smoked fish and stir to combine with the tomato base.

3. Build the Peanut Broth: Dissolve the peanut butter in 600ml of water, stirring until smooth. Pour into the pot. Season with salt. Bring to a simmer.

4. Add Okra: Add the sliced okra. Stir and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes until the okra softens and begins to thicken the stew.

5. Add Greens: Add the leafy greens in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Stir and cook until wilted and tender.

6. Serve: Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve hot over white rice or with boiled cassava.

Optional

Fresh Fish Version: Replace the smoked dried fish with 300g of fresh fish fillets (tilapia, sea bass, or similar), added in the last 10 minutes of cooking. The stew will be lighter but still deeply satisfying.

Cooking Tips

Stir the peanut stew regularly to prevent the peanut butter from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning. If the stew becomes too thick, add water gradually. The okra acts as a natural thickener — if you prefer a thinner consistency, use less or leave it out entirely and increase the peanut butter slightly.

Nutrition Facts

(Estimated per serving, based on 4 servings)

Calories: ~310 kcal

Total Fat: 19g

Saturated Fat: 4g

Cholesterol: 22mg

Sodium: 440mg

Total Carbohydrates: 20g

Dietary Fiber: 5g

Sugars: 6g

Protein: 18g