Ugali – Kenyan cornmeal
Ugali is the East African staple: white cornmeal whisked into boiling water and stirred until it pulls into a smooth, firm, sliceable loaf. Just two ingredients, endlessly versatile, and perfect for scooping up stews and greens.
Adapted from TheMealDB
Ingredients
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- 2 cups Water
- 1½ cups White Cornmeal
Method
- Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan.
- Reduce the heat to low, and stirring constantly with a whisk, slowly add the cornmeal to the boiling water.
- The ugali will begin to thicken quite quickly.
- Continue cooking on low heat, stirring constantly with a sturdy wooden spoon, until the ugali begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, hold together, and takes on the aroma of roasted corn.
- Turn it out immediately onto a serving plate.
- If you would like, using a spoon or spatula, quickly shape it into a thick disk or round.
- The ugali will continue to firm as it cools and will be thick enough to cut with a knife (similar to firm polenta).
Nutrition per serving (estimated)
- 218 cal
- 4.2g protein
- 1g fat
- 46.8g carbs
- 2.3g fiber
- 0.9g sugar
- 4mg sodium
About the ingredients
- Water
- Plain potable water (H2O). Universal solvent and culinary base, no calories or nutrients beyond trace minerals. Not derived from any organism; an unprocessed essential. WFPB canonical.
- White Cornmeal Zea mays
- Cornmeal is dried maize kernels milled to a coarse meal. Whole-grain (stone-ground) cornmeal retains bran and germ (canonical, matrix only fragmented); commercial degermed cornmeal removes germ/bran (matrix-removed, leans noncanonical). Carbohydrate-dominant, provides fiber, magnesium, and B vitamins when whole.