Luwombo recipe

Ugandan chicken in groundnut sauce sealed in flame-smoked banana leaves and steamed for hours, so the parcel is opened at the table.

2 hours and 45 minuteshard11 ingredients

Ingredients

• 6 banana leaves
• 1000 g chicken
• 150 g unsweetened peanut butter
• 2 onions
• 3 tomatoes
• 1 carrot
• 2 clove garlic
• 1 green bell pepper
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 300 ml water

How to make Luwombo

1. Pass 6 young banana leaves over a gas flame or a hot dry pan until they darken, soften and smell smoky; cut out the central rib, wipe them clean and keep the rib strips for tying.
2. Cut 1 kg chicken into 8 pieces, salt them and brown them in 2 tbsp oil for 8-10 minutes; set aside.
3. In the same pot, fry 2 chopped onions, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 3 chopped tomatoes, 1 sliced carrot and 1 diced green pepper for 5 minutes.
4. Dilute 150 g unsweetened peanut butter in 300 ml water, pour it in with 1 tsp salt and simmer 5 minutes into a thick sauce, then fold in the chicken.
5. Lay two leaves crosswise, pile the chicken and sauce in the centre, fold the leaves into a tight parcel and tie it with the rib strips or kitchen string; make 2-3 parcels.
6. Set a rack or banana stalks in a large pot, pour in water to just below the rack, place the parcels on top and cover with the leftover leaves and the lid.
7. Steam on low heat for 1 h 30 to 2 h, topping up with hot water so the pot never runs dry.
8. Bring the parcels to the table unopened and serve with matooke, rice or posho.

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