Ugali Recipe

Learn how to make East African ugali with this tasty and easy Kenyan cornmeal recipe. Perfect to serve with sukuma or your favourite stews.

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine African, Kenyan, Tanzanian

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Servings

Calories 488kcal

Using a medium-sized and deep pot, bring water to boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and set ½ a cup of water aside.
4 cups water
To the pot, add the maize flour (cornmeal), a quarter of a cup at a time, and use a wooden spoon to stir, using circular motions. At this point, it should be slightly thick and resemble porridge.
Continue adding the maize flour (cornmeal) a little at a time, and stirring until all of it has been used up and the mixture is firm. This will take about 5 minutes.
Using the wooden spoon, poke small holes on the surface of the ugali and add the previously preserved hot water to the holes. Next, cover and allow to cook for a further 5 minutes stirring halfway through, or until all the water has evaporated and the bottom of the pan is browned up but not burning.
Use the wooden spoon to transfer the ugali to the side of the pot. You will know the ugali is cooked when it easily pulls away from the bottom of the pot and starts to give a strong corn aroma. A small ball pinched between the thumbs will also feel slightly sticky and not grainy.
Finally, run the wooden spoon under tap water (this helps with the shaping). Shape the ugali in the pot until you have something that resembles a round ball.
Take the pot from the stove and tip it upside down onto a plate, so the ugali now falls to the plate. You can shape it again using a wooden stick. Serve ugali while hot with Kachumbari, nyama choma, sukuma wiki, or your favourite dishes.

While the authentic recipe uses no butter, margarine, or salt, feel free to add this if you prefer. You can also enrich it by using milk or cream.
Store leftover ugali in the fridge for 3-5 days. You can also keep it in the freezer for up to 6 months.