Guinea-Bissau | Main dish

Caldo de Chabeu

Name: Caldo de Chabeu
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Guinea-Bissau, West Africa
Ingredients: 500 g firm fish or dried fish, cleaned or soaked and flaked; ¼ cup red palm oil; 250 g okra, sliced; 3 medium tomatoes, chopped; 2 large onions, chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 whole hot pepper, left whole or minced; 4 cups water or fish stock; 4 cups cooked white rice; salt and black pepper, to taste

Guinea-Bissau palm-oil broth with okra, tomato, onion, chile, and fish or meat, served over rice.

Country

Guinea-Bissau

Region

West Africa

Time

70 min

Serves

Level

medium

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01 / Get ready

Everything you need

Tap each ingredient as you gather it. Illustrations are visual guides; follow the ingredient names and quantities.

Servings 6

Scale the dish before you shop, then use the checklist while you cook.

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Ingredients

For 6 servings

Main dish

A few kitchen essentials

Suggested from the recipe method. Use equivalent equipment you have.

Lidded pot

Wooden spoon

02 / Let’s cook

One step at a time

Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.

Back to Guinea-Bissau

5 steps 20 min prep 50 min cook (check method) 70 min total medium

Start the palm base

Heat palm oil and cook onions until soft. Add garlic, tomatoes, and hot pepper.

Cook base 10:00

Add okra

Stir in okra and cook until it begins to thicken the oil and tomato base.

Cook okra 08:00

Simmer broth

Add water or fish stock and bring to a simmer. Add fish gently and season with salt and pepper.

Simmer 15:00

Finish

Cook until the fish is done and the broth is glossy red. Keep it spoonable, not dry.

Finish fish 05:00

Serve

Ladle the chabeu over plain white rice or serve with cassava.

Fish, dried fish, chicken, beef, or shellfish can anchor the broth depending on the coast and household.

Cooking notes, photos & serving ideas

Recipe context

More about this dish

Serving ideas, regional context, and cooking cues for when you want more detail.

When to cook it

Best for Family meals. Plan on a medium cook. Allow about 70 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Plain white rice, cassava, or boiled plantain

Follow the collection

One-Pot Wonders is the easiest collection to explore after this dish. One-Pot Wonders

Regional lane

Guinea-Bissau national table. A structured Guinea-Bissau dish in the AfroKitchen archive.

Chef watch-outs

Adding too much liquid after the rice goes in.
Stirring too often once the grains should be steaming.
Rushing the base before the raw edge has cooked out.

How you know it is ready

The grains should be tender but still distinct, with steam carrying the seasoning upward.
The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
Oil, sauce, broth, or steam should look settled and deliberate.

Recipe photos

See the dish before you cook

Take a closer look at the dish and its serving ideas.

Caldo de Chabeu recipe from Guinea-Bissau — Caldo de Chabeu finished dish

Chef board

Build the table around Caldo de Chabeu

Plain white rice, cassava, or boiled plantain

Best route from here

Guinea-Bissau national table

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