HOW TO COOK THE PERFECT UGALI

How's the weekend coming along? Today I will show you how to make Ugali. Ugali  is a dish made of maize flour (cornmeal), millet flour, or Sorghum flour (sometimes mixed with cassava flour) cooked in boiling liquid (water or Milk) to a stiff or firm but smooth mass. It is the most common staple starch featured in the local cuisines of the African Great Lakes region and Southern Africa. When ugali is made from another starch, it is usually given a specific regional name especially from that community.  For instance in the luhya community in Kenya Ugali is known as Obhusuma. In Kenya Ugali (Cornmeal) is a staple dish that features in Kenyan homes. In our house we literally eat Ugali every other day, three days cannot pass without us eating this meal. Since there are so many Stews and Soups that you can eat with Ugali, eating it two days in a row will not bother you since each day you eat it with something different.To make the perfect Ugali, all you need to have is patience and knowing when to stop adding flour so that the Ugali is not crumbly or has flour lumps when done cooking. You also have to add enough Flour so that the Ugali does not remain at the porridge like consistency when you are through. Just like everything else, practice makes perfect. The only way you can perfect making Ugali is to keep at it until you are flawless at it.  The best way to eat Ugali is to pinch a small bit off with your fingers, roll it into a small ball, use your thumb to make a small indent /depression in the middle for scooping up some stew.I made some Ugali Fries that you can try. Omena is one of the stews that you can eat your Ugali with. These tomato Eggs or onion Eggs also go great with Ugali, just add Sukuma Wiki (Collard Greens) and you have a yummy Ugali meal. Now, let's begin cooking! I'm social too on Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest

Ingredients

2 Cups Maize Meal Flour
4 Cups Water

Method
Watch how to make the Ugali on my channel below

Pour water in a Sufuria (Large deep Pan) and let it simmer until it starts to boil. It should completely boil

Pour in a good quantity of the Maize Meal Flour. Wait for a few minutes as the water keeps boiling

Turn the mixture with a long wooden spoon as you incorporate the Water and Flour. Add more flour but sprinkle it and continue mixing

The mixture should start becoming heavier

Keep mixing and stirring as you sprinkle more flour. The Ugali will begin to firm up

Now the work starts. Hold the Sufuria (Deep cooking pan) with Mittens or heavy cloth to prevent burning your hands. Keep stirring the Flour with a wooden spoon like you are folding the Flour into itself

The Ugali (Cornmeal) has now become firm. It will start coming off the sides of the cooking pan. Press it against the wall of the Sufuria (Deep cooking pan) with the wooden spoon

Stick your wooden spoon under the pressed Ugali (cornmeal) and turn, remove it from the wall to the center of the pan

Repeat the pressing of the Ugali (Cornmeal) and turning it to the middle of the pan. At this point the Ugali (Cornmeal) will start smelling really good. That's how you know the Ugali (Cornmeal) is cooking well

Let the Ugali (Cornmeal) stay in the middle of the Sufuria (Deep cooking pan) and turn down the heat really low. After a few minutes press and turn it again

Form the Ugali (Cornmeal) into a round form and remove from heat. Turn the Ugali (Cornmeal) onto a plate from the Sufuria (Deep cooking pan)

Cover the plate with the cooking pan for a few minutes as you dip the wooden spoon into some water to make it wet

This is how the finished cooked Ugali (Cornmeal) will look like. Immediately from the Sufuria (Deep cooking pan) it will be shapeless

Use the wet wooden spoon to press the Ugali (Cornmeal) into a round mound. As you press, keep turning the plate so that you can shape the whole Ugali (Cornmeal)

And there you have it a perfectly cooked Ugali (Cornmeal) round in shape

Serve it whole like that with Meats, Chicken, Fish and Vegetables. When you cut through it, it should be soft bur firm

You or the people you have prepared the Ugali for can have a piece each accompanied by the stew you have prepared. Ugali cannot be eaten alone, it needs an accompaniment

-Enjoy!

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HOW TO COOK THE PERFECT UGALI

by Mulunga Alukwe July-15-2017

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Maize Meal Flour
• 4 Cups Water

Instructions

-Pour water in a Sufuria (Large deep Pan) and let it simmer until it starts to boil-Pour in a good quantity of the Maize Meal Flour. Wait for a few minutes as the water keeps boiling -Turn the mixture with a long wooden spoon as you incorporate the Water and Flour-Add more flour but sprinkle it and continue mixing -The mixture should start becoming heavier-Keep mixing and stirring as you sprinkle more flour. The Ugali will begin to firm up-Hold the Sufuria (Deep cooking pan) with mittens or heavy cloth to prevent being burnt. Keep stirring the Flour with a wooden spoon like you are folding the Flour into itself-It will start coming off the sides of the cooking pan. Press it against the wall of the Sufuria (Deep cooking pan) with the wooden spoon-Stick your wooden spoon under the pressed Ugali (cornmeal) and turn, remove it from the wall to the center of the pan-Repeat the pressing of the Ugali (Cornmeal) and turning it to the middle of the pan-Let the Ugali (Cornmeal) stay in the middle of the Sufuria (Deep cooking pan) and turn down the heat really low. After a few minutes press and turn it again-Form the Ugali (Cornmeal) into a round form and remove from heat-Turn the Ugali (Cornmeal) onto a plate from the Sufuria (Deep cooking pan)-Use the wet wooden spoon to press the Ugali (Cornmeal) into a round mound. As you press, keep turning the plate so that you can shape the whole Ugali (Cornmeal)-Serve it whole like that with Meats, Chicken, Fish and Vegetables

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 45 mins Total time: 50 mins Yield: 4-6 Servings