Cooking Ugali (With Proper Documentation)

 So the other week we got a lesson on how to cook local food. Much to the amusement of our office, we said we wanted to photograph it all. This food is going to be a staple food during the Global Solidarity challenge so you'll get to see how well we learned our lessons

Step 1: All our groceries (and our spoon) we purchased from the local market and carried back to our apartment.

Step 2: The first thing we made were beans. We'd cooked some up the other day but our teacher was very unimpressed by our method so he showed us how to make them properly.

Step 3: Onions, Tomatoes and Carrots formed the flavour at the base of all the different vegetables we cooked. We sautéed these all up in a little cooking oil before adding the beans or veg.

Step 4: Then the already cooked plain beans were added to the vegetables.

Step 5: Cooking Ugali. First we needed to bring water to boil (we're being cautious with the water so even though we boiled it we used bottled water.) 

Step 6: We add the white maize flour to the boiling water (only 1 scoop).

Step 7: This sort of thin paste than has to boil gently for about 20 minutes.

Step 8: After it's boiled awhile, you add more of the maize flour until you start to get a thick dough (I think we added about 4 more spoons full).

Step 9: So it looks like this...

Step 10: And then it has to be stirred and smooshed (that's the technical term) until its smooth. We had to take turns because its so thick that you're arms hurt from stirring it. Yet another household task that is a good workout.

Step 11: So we learned that Ugali isn't that different from spagetti... it also sticks to the wall when its done.

Step 12: Last thing to prepare was our green vegetables - Mchinchi (which I'm probably spelling wrong). We also put carrots, onion and tomatoes in to flavour them.

Step 13: A little salt for flavour....

Step 14: Here I am carefully sautéing the vegetables. As you can tell it took all my concentration.














Step 15: Oh and we also made African egglant (Called Nyenye Chungu in Tanzania)... we just boiled them and then added them to the beans.











Step 16: Success! We don't actually have a dining table to we make do with our coffee table










Step 17: And here it is all cooked! No cutlery required. Just take a small amount of ugali in your hand, form it into a ball and use it to scoop up the rest of your food.

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