I am totally excited about today's recipe. First I never thought that there would come a time that a Kenyan staple like Ugali would be upgraded in such a way that can make even those that loathe it actually want to eat it. Apparently Ugali in English is translated as "a type of stiff porridge made by mixing Cornmeal with boiling water and heated until it turns into a dense block of Cornmeal paste - Cornmeal mush." Now I imagine someone ordering "Cornmeal Mush" at a Restaurant. Anyway so I always want to try out new ways of cooking and even presenting my meals. The one thing that has always been a staple in our family and indeed all Kenyan households has been Ugali. We literally eat it every other day if not everyday. It's usually accompanied by Vegetables and Meats, Fish, Pork or even Chicken. So it didn't seem like a bad idea to try and transform this staple food into something different.I knew the only way I could do that is to either bake it or fry it. Baking, yeah, not likely, frying it is then! This recipe is something that you can do especially since we are always having left over Ugali and we usually just warm it up and eat the next day. So if you find yourself with some left over Ugali why not make Ugali Fries out of it, plus if your kids or any family member does not care for Ugali, this is a new way to convince them to eat. Whether you call it Sima, Sembe, Dona, Obokima, Arega, Ngima, Obusuma, Posho or Polenta as Italians call it, Ugali does not have to be boring, spice it up, fry it up, make it deliciously yours. Follow me on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest
Ingredients
-1 Egg
-Vegetable Oil
-Breadcrumbs
-Cayenne Pepper Spice
-Garam Masala Spice
-Ugali (Cornmeal) left over
-Salt
Method
-Cut your left over Ugali (Cornmeal) into long French Fries Strips. Sprinkle the Garam Masala Spice and Cayenne Pepper Spice into the Breadcrumbs. You can add more or less according to your taste. Add Salt to the beaten Egg. Arrange the Bowls with the Egg and Breadcrumbs in a single line for easier assembly
-Dip the piece of Ugali (Cornmeal) into the Beaten Egg. Toss the piece of Ugali (Cornmeal) in the Egg and make sure all the sides are coated with the Egg mixture
-Place the Egg coated Ugali (Cornmeal) into the breadcrumbs and make sure it is wel coated. Press gently so that the breadcrumbs stick to the Ugali well
-Coat the Ugali (Cornmeal) completely
-Place the fully coated Ugali (Cornmeal) aside on a different plate
-Repeat the process (Dipping in the Egg and then in the Breadcrumbs) until all the Ugali (Cornmeal) are done
-Ready to be fried in the cooking Oil
-Heat a Cooking Pan with oil
-Test if the cooking oil is hot enough by carefully dropping a piece of the Ugali into it
-The oil is ready when the piece quickly rises to the top and begins to sizzle
-Very carefully add the Breadcrumbs Coated Ugali (Cornmeal) into the hot Vegetable Oil
-Turn the Ugali Fries after 2-3 minutes so that the second side gets cooked through
-You do not want the Ugali Fries to burn or turn too dark brown, therefore check to see that they have browned and remove from the oil
-Repeat process until all the Ugali Fries (Cornmeal Fries) are done
-Place in a plate or bowl with a Kitchen Towel to drain the excess oil
-This is how the Ugali (Cornmeal) Fries will turn out, Golden and Crispy
-You can serve with a sauce of your choice
-I dipped mine in Hot and Sweet Tomato Sauce and boy were they yummilicious (is there a word like that? there should be!)
-And this is how the inside of my Ugali (Cornmeal) Fries look like. Still moist on the inside but crunchy on the outside!
-Enjoy without interruption!
THE PERFECT SPICY UGALI FRIES
Ingredients
- 1 Egg
- 2 Cups Vegetable Oil for frying
- 1 Cup Breadcrumbs
- 1 Tablespoon Cayenne Pepper Spice
- 1 Tablespoon Garam Marsala
- 1 Cup Ugali (Cornmeal) left over
- Salt Pinch
Instructions
-Cut your left over Ugali (Cornmeal) into long French Fries Strips-Sprinkle the Garam Marsala Spice and Cayenne Pepper Spice into the Breadcrumbs. You can add more or less according to your taste.-Add Salt to the beaten Egg-Dip the piece of Ugali (Cornmeal) into the Beaten Egg. Make sure all the sides are coated with the Egg mixture-Place the Egg coated Ugali (Cornmeal) into the breadcrumbs and make sure it is welL coated. Press gently so that the breadcrumbs stick to the Ugali well-Repeat until all the Ugali (cornmeal) are all coated with breadcrumbs-Heat a Cooking Pan with oil-Drop several of the coated Ugali (cornmeal) into the hot oil and fry until golden brown on all sides-Serve warm with your desired sauce or dip
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 2 Servings