COPPERUgali recipe
Rwandan ubugali leans on cassava flour and is worked against the pot with a wooden stick until it is a stiff dough, not a porridge.
Ingredients
- 250 g cassava flour
- 150 g maize flour
- 1000 ml water
- 1 pinch salt
How to make Ugali
- Bring 1 litre of water to a rolling boil in a heavy pot.
- Rain 150 g of cassava flour into the water in a thin stream, stirring the whole time with a wooden stick (umwuko), never a whisk.
- Add 150 g of maize flour the same way, then let it swell undisturbed for 2 minutes.
- Now do the real work: press and fold the dough against the side of the pot for 10 minutes until it is smooth, elastic and pulls away clean.
- If it fights you, add 1000 ml of hot water; if it slumps, add a spoon more cassava flour.
- Cover, drop the heat to its lowest and let it steam 5 minutes so no raw flour taste is left.
- Wet a bowl, pack the ubugali into it and turn it out as a smooth mound.
- Serve hot with isombe or a bean stew; pinch off pieces by hand and use them to scoop.
What is Ugali?
Ugali is a traditional dish from Rwanda, steamed, and takes about 25 minutes from start to finish. It is built around cassava flour and maize flour. The recipe below uses 4 ingredients and is written out step by step.
How long does Ugali take?
At 25 minutes it is quicker than 98% of the 586 dishes in Copper's atlas. Copper's atlas has 4 dishes built on cassava flour. The method runs to 8 steps, the longest being 10 minutes.
Any tips for making Ugali?
Work the dough against the side of the pot until smooth and elastic, then steam it covered on low heat so no raw flour taste is left.
How Ugali compares
At 25 minutes, Ugali is among the 20 quickest of the 586 dishes Copper documents.
Cooked with the same thing elsewhere
Other traditional dishes built on cassava flour, from other countries.
Copper documents Rwanda alongside 197 other countries. Every recipe is free to read, with the full ingredient list and every step.