Recipes and Cuisine of Uganda

November 2013
Cuisine
Ugandan cuisine consists of traditional and modern cooking styles,
practices, foods and dishes in Uganda, with English, Arab, Asian and
especially Indian influences. Like the cuisines of most countries, it varies in
complexity from a simple starchy filler with a sauce of beans or meat, to
multi-course meals served in upper-class homes and high-end restaurants.
Most tribes in Uganda have their own specialty dish or delicacy. Many
dishes include various vegetables, potatoes, yams, bananas and other
tropical fruits. Chicken, fish (usually fresh, but there is also a dried variety,
reconstituted for stewing), beef, goat and mutton are all commonly eaten,
although among the rural poor, meats are consumed less than in other
areas. Nyama is the Swahili word for "meat".

Main dishes are usually centered on a sauce or stew of groundnuts, beans or meat. The starch traditionally
comes from ugali (maize meal) or matooke (boiled and mashed green banana) in the South, or an ugali made
from millet in the North. Ugali is cooked up into a thick porridge for breakfast. For main meals, white flour is
added to the saucepan and stirred into the ugali until the consistency is firm. It is then turned out onto a
serving plate and cut into individual slices (or served onto individual plates in the kitchen). Cassava, yam and
African sweet potato are also eaten; the more affluent include white (often called "Irish") potato and rice in
their diets. Soybeans were promoted as a healthy food staple in the 1970s and this is also used, especially for
breakfast. Chapati, an Asian flatbread, is also part of Ugandan cuisine.

Various leafy greens are grown in Uganda. These may be boiled in the stews, or served as side dishes in fancier
homes. Amaranth (dodo), nakati, and borr are examples of regional greens. Fruits such as bananas and
pineapples are plentiful and commonly consumed in cooked foods or eaten as snacks or as a dessert.

Read More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ugandan_cuisine

Ugandan cultural traditions related to eating

Lunch is typically the heaviest meal of the day, eaten around 1pm. Dinner is slightly lighter and usually eaten
around 8pm. If you are invited to someone’s home in Uganda, they will typically serve you something,
whether it is tea with snacks or a full meal. It is considered rude to not eat the food in such settings.

In many traditional, rural Ugandan homes the women and children sit on a mat on the floor to eat, while the
man sits at the table. In more modern families, everybody sits together at the table, although some women
still prefer to eat while sitting on a mat on the floor. In central Uganda, people do not typically greet others
while eating. If someone comes late to the table, they should not attempt to shake hands with or greet those
who are already sitting and eating.

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Many Ugandans eat with their hands, although many have adopted Western spoons and forks. When you
bring someone an eating utensil such as a fork, it is considered bad manners to just hand it to them. Instead,
you should place the utensil on a small plate/saucer and give it to them on the saucer.

After finishing your meal, it is typical to say “thank you for cooking” or “you cook very well” (“webale
kufumba” or “ofumbye nnyo” in Luganda) to the host (even if he or she is not the one who actually did most of
the cooking).

Fried and salted grasshopper is a delicacy and good source of protein in Uganda. In fact, the word for the
month November is “Nsenene,” which means grasshopper in Luganda, because this is the time of year that
you can find grasshoppers in plenty.

Provided by: Heather & Chris Lukolyo of ASSET

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Recipes

African Chai Tea

Ugandan families typically drink tea twice a day: once mid-morning and once in the evening before dinner.
(makes 4 mugs)

Ingredients:
2 cups whole milk (or milk of choice)
2 cups water
6 teabags of plain black tea
1 teaspoon of grated fresh ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground black peppercorn
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
sugar to taste

Directions:
Bring water and milk to a boil while stirring frequently. Add ginger and ground spices and steep teabags in
boiling water/milk mixture for 3-5 minutes while continuing to stir. Remove teabags. Add sugar to taste. Serve
hot and enjoy!

Recipe provided by Heather & Chris Lukolyo of ASSET

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Ugandan g-nut and sim-sim sauce
G-nut” is short for groundnut, which we call peanut in the U.S. “Sim-sim” is the Luganda word for sesame seed
(serves 4)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium sized onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tomatoes, diced
1 cup smooth peanut butter (try to find a peanut butter in which the only ingredient is peanuts)
5 tablespoons tahini/sesame seed paste*
hot water – about 1-2 cups
salt to taste
cilantro, chopped (optional)
Directions:

In a medium saucepan, sauté onions in vegetable oil until they are transparent. Add in minced garlic and
sauté. Add in curry powder and ground ginger, stirring for just a moment before adding in diced tomatoes.
Continue to cook until tomatoes become mushy.

Add in peanut butter, sesame seed paste, and 1 cup of hot water. Stir frequently as you continue to cook over
medium heat and bring the mixture to a thick, bubbly boil. The mixture will continue to thicken as it is
heated—keep stirring! Add additional hot water to make the sauce your desired consistency (some people
prefer a thick paste-like sauce, while others prefer a more watery consistency. Salt to taste.

Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro, if desired. Serve over one of the following starchy foods: rice; potatoes
(peeled and boiled); sweet potatoes (peeled and boiled). In Uganda, this is often served over steamed and
mashed green bananas (matooke).

* tahini can be found in ethnic food stores and adds a rich flavor to the sauce. It can be omitted if unable to
find.

Recipe provided by Heather & Chris Lukolyo of ASSET

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Ugandan Curried Cabbage
Serves 6-8 people as a side dish

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons vegetable oil for sautéing

1 medium onion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1 green pepper, cut into thin strips
2 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons curry powder (or can use 2 teaspoons turmeric powder)
½ teaspoon ground ginger
2 tomatoes, diced
1 medium head of green cabbage, shredded or cut into thin strips
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:

In a large saucepan, heat about 3 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium heat. Sauté onions until transparent,
then add garlic and continue to sauté. Add carrot and green pepper, and continue to cook for about 5
minutes, until carrots are starting to get soft. Add salt and stir well. Add curry powder and ground ginger while
stirring rapidly, then toss in cabbage and lemon juice. Stir continuously while cooking over medium heat for
about 5 minutes, then add 2-3 tablespoons of water, cover the pan, and turn the heat down and let steam
until cabbage is limp and soft.

Serve as a side dish.

Recipe provided by Heather & Chris Lukolyo of ASSET

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Chickennat
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 2-3 pounds chicken, cut into pieces

1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1 pint chicken stock
3/4 cup pure peanut butter, or 1 lb roasted peanuts, ground to a paste
1 to 2 egg yolks
Several sprigs of parsley, coarsely chopped

Directions:
Rub the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a large, heavy skillet or stew pot, and add the
chicken and onions. Cover and simmer over lowest heat, periodically adding stock until you have used it all. (If
you don't have stock, add plain water or bouillon). After 15 minutes, remove half cup of the cooking liquid to
thin the peanut butter or paste. Add to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and then whisk some of the
hot stew liquid into the egg yolks. Add to the pot and stir to incorporate the egg mixture into the stew.
Simmer gently until chicken is done. Be careful not to heat the stew above a simmer from this point. Garnish
with parsley leaves and serve with rice or corn porridge.

Recipe from: http://recipes.wikia.com/wiki/Chickennat

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Sim Sim Cookies

Ingredients:
Equal parts sugar and sesame seeds

Directions:
Heat together over a low temperature until the sugar
liquefies. Be careful not to let the mixture cook too long, or
the cookies will be too brittle. Pour the hot mixture onto a
flat, greased surface. Work quickly to pat or roll the hot
mixture into a flat sheet, approximately 1/4 inch thick. Cool
until warm to the touch, but not hot. Slice into squares.
Separate the square cookies and remove them to another
surface to continue cooling.

Recipe from: http://www.tastycooking.com/uganda.html

Compiled by Chris Byrnes