Ugali

Ugali is a Jacobs family favorite which we learned to eat while we lived in East Africa. I'm not sure whether our fondness for this food is because of the food itself or because of the memories which it evokes; the occasions when we ate it in East Africa and the friends with whom it was shared.

It is made in East Africa with a variety of flours which is determined by the area in which one lives. Muhogo (cassava) is used much in Tanzania. This is a white root vegetable which is dried and then pounded into flour. In itself it is not very nutritious, but it survives in the ground during famine seasons which gives it worth. Usually, however, it is mixed with other flours made from various kinds of millets or maize. The flour is then cooked with water until it resembles a very thick mush which can be eaten with one's fingers. It is the East African "bread" really and is eaten then with a beef or chicken stew or with fish, beans, or greens. To eat this meal, the ugali is rounded on a plate in the center of the table and one breaks off a bit of it and forms in into a kind of spoon by making an indentation in the center. This then if dipped into the stew and popped into the mouth.

Here in the US, I like to make it with a combination of buckwheat flour and corn meal or with whole wheat flour and corn meal. The proportions of flour and water are roughly this:

1 quart of water

1 1/2 cups buckwheat flour
1 1/2 cups corn meal

I like to add a handful of white wheat flour and a bit of cream of wheat to make it stick together better

Bring the water to a boil, lower the heat and gradually add the flours, stirring constantly. It is important to work out the lumps which can be done by pulling the flour against the side of the pan. For best results, use a heavy pan and a wooden spoon, preferably an "ugali spoon" which is wider than a normal wooden spoon and has no indentation.

This amount will serve from four to six Jacobs'.

To prepare the beef or chicken, sauté an onion or two and some garlic in a bit of oil, add some tomato, fresh or canned, continue to sauté, adding oil in necessary. Next add the spices, curry and turmeric, or make your own curry by using a mixture of cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon and a wee bit of cloves. Add to the onion/tomato mixture and sauté for about a minute. Add the meat cut into serving pieces, size of your choice, stir to coat with the onion/tomato/spice mixture. Add water or beef or chicken broth and cook until meat is tender, about twenty minutes or longer if meat pieces are large. Don't forget salt and pepper. You may add a dash of cayenne pepper, if you like it a bit hot.

For a side dish of greens, you may use spinach or kale. Cook and drain. In another pan sauté onions and tomatoes and add the drained greens. Stir well and add a dollop of peanut butter. Stir until the peanut butter is well mixed through; add salt and pepper and serve.

-Anna Ruth