Ugali (Tanzanian Maize Meal) + Sides (Optional)
Ugali is a staple of East African cuisine. This hearty cornmeal dish is quick to make, budget-friendly and pairs perfectly with a variety of sides, from savory stews to sautéed greens. Whether you're new to Ugali or grew up with it, this recipe will show you how to achieve the perfect texture - soft, smooth and just the right amount of firmness.
Ingredients
Ugali
- 450 ml water
- 160 g white maize meal / corn meal
Mchicha
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large onion
- 600 g amaranth leaves or large leaf spinach
- 2 large tomatoes (300g)
- 3 green finger chillis
- 100 g coconut milk
- 75 g peanut butter (3 tbsp)
- 1 tbsp Zanzibar curry powder (see below for homemade)
- 1 tbsp salt (14g)
Zanzibar Curry Powder (optional)
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1 tbsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp brown sugar
Red Kidney Bean Stew
- 160 g dried red kidney beans
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large onion
- 1 large carrot
- 2 large tomatoes (300g)
- 250 ml coconut milk
- 1 1/2 tsp salt (11g)
Instructions
Ugali
- Add the water to a saucepan and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Slowly pour in the maize meal, stirring constantly. Continue stirring until it begins to thicken into a dense porridge. At this point, use a wooden spoon to smoothen the mixture against the sides of the pan for 1-2 minutes, or until it pulls away in one big clump as you stir it. This will take more and more effort as the maize meal thickens further, but it will help to remove any lumps.
- Spread the mixture out into an even layer, increase the temperature to medium-high and leave it to cook for another 3-5 minutes without stirring. By now, any of the mixture stuck to the side of the pan should begin to break off in flakes, while the edges start to turn slightly golden. Time to remove the mixture. Don't worry about the layer stuck to the bottom of the pan, it'll easily come loose later on. For now, just transfer the content of the pan to a bowl, press it down to create an even shape and tip it out onto a plate. Serve warm.
- As the pan cools down, you can easily break off the crispy leftovers from the side and bottom and eat them as a snack.
Mchicha
- Pre-heat the oil in a casserole. Finely chop the onion and sauté until translucent (8-10 minutes). Meanwhile, finely slice all of the amaranth/spinach and set aside. Roughly chop the tomatoes and finely slice the chillis. In a bowl, mix together the coconut milk and peanut butter.
- Add the chillis and tomatoes to the pan and cook until the tomatoes have softened (2-3 minutes), then stir in the curry powder and salt, before adding the spinach along with the coconut milk and peanut mixture. Once the spinach has melted, bring it to a boil and simmer until thickened into a creamy sauce (5-10 minutes). Serve alongside the Ugali.
Zanzibar Curry Powder
- Toast the whole spices until aromatic, allow to cool slightly, then grind with the remaining spices into a fine powder.
Stewed Red Kidney Beans
- Soak the beans in plenty of water overnight.
- The next day, drain them and add to a pan along with 1l of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 1 hour or until just tender. Drain and set aside.
- When the beans are almost ready, heat the oil in a large sauce pan. Finely chop the onion and dice the carrot, adding both to the pan as you go, then cook until the onion has softened (8-10 minutes). Dice the tomatoes, add to the pan and cook until softened (2-3 minutes). Now tip in the beans along with the coconut milk, salt and 100 ml of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes or until it the sauce has thickened. Serve alongside the Ugali and Mchicha.