Ugali = Cornmeal Mush
Serves 8
Notes:
One of the foods most frequently used in both East and West
Africa is a mush or gruel made by pounding fresh corn and
squeezing out the cornstarch. When it is cooked in boiling
water to a gruel consistency and used as a breakfast cereal
it is called Uji (Ogi, in West Africa). When it is cooked
to a thicker consistency, so that it can easily be rolled
into a ball, it is called Ugali (Agidi in West Africa). As
a substitute you can use cornmeal grits or buckwheat grits.
Africans in our country use any fine white cereal such as
Farina or Cream of Wheat. These cereals are surprisingly
tasty when served with meat and poultry gravies. Stone-
ground white cornmeal can be purchased in specialty food
shops. For added flavor, try cooking cornmeal grits,
farina, or any cereal in chicken or beef stock instead of
water. The cereals absorb the flavor of the stock and make
an excellent accompaniment for meats. Rice and couscous,
that wonderful semolina grain used so abundantly in North
Africa, are delicious when prepared in this way. In Swahili
any thick mush is called Ugali. There is a light Ugali made
with cornmeal flour and there is a dark Ugali made with
millet flour, and often groundnuts (peanuts) are ground in
with the mush.
Ingredients:
1 quart water
1 tea spoon salt
1 cup white cereal (e.g. farina)
Instructions:
In a 2-quart saucepan:
Boil rapidly 1 quart WATER or CHICKEN BROTH.
Add: 1 tsp. SALT and
1 cup ANY FINE WHITE CEREAL.
Swirl the cereal into the boiling water and cook according
to package directions
to a thick heavy mush.
Keep warm over hot water (in a double boiler) until ready
to serve.
Serving:
Put in a big glass or plastic bowl then cover with a big
plate. Turn upside down so that 'ugali' whic is now bowl
shaped gets in the plate. Take a smaller dish and press on
the top of 'ugali' to form a hole. Pour coconut cream red
kidney beans or tapioca leaves, or duckling into the hole
and serve. Usually every one eats together. In case some
one wants to eat separately, serve a portion of 'ugali' in
their plate and pour any of the above mentioned soups onto
it.