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Masala ugali

Soft maize meal ugali flavoured with cumin, coriander and green chilli

Ugali, East Africa's staple of maize meal cooked into a stiff porridge, given a lift with toasted cumin, butter, fresh coriander and green chilli. Stir it hard and keep it soft. Serve hot with sukumawiki or any stew.
Total time
20 min
Difficulty
easy
Serves
3
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Ingredients

Serves3

For the seasoning

Method

0/6 done
  1. Step 1: Heat a heavy-based saucepan. When hot, add 1 tsp cumin seeds.

    1 min
  2. Step 2: As soon as the seeds start popping, add 2 tbsp butter, 3 tbsp fresh coriander and 1 tsp green chilli paste.

  3. Step 3: Add 2 cups hot water and ½ tsp salt and bring to the boil.

    3 min
  4. Step 4: Add 5 oz white maize meal (ugali flour) gradually, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon and pressing out any lumps, until thick, smooth and soft.

    8 min
  5. Step 5: If the ugali becomes too hard, add a little more hot water and keep stirring.

  6. Step 6: Shape into a mound and serve hot with sukumawiki.

Nutrition per serving

Calories
230 kcal
Protein
4 g
Carbs
35 g
Fat
9 g
Fibre
4 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does masala ugali take?
About 20 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegetarian?
Yes. It has no meat or fish.
Is it gluten free?
Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
What can I use instead of cumin seeds?
Ground cumin, three quarters of the amount (add it with the other ground spices, not to hot oil first).
What can I use instead of butter?
The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).

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