Ugali na Sukuma Wiki

About This Recipe

Ugali na sukuma wiki is the everyday plate of Kenya and much of East Africa: a firm white-maize porridge eaten with sautéed leafy greens (sukuma wiki, literally 'push the week', because greens are the cheap dish that stretches families to payday). The ugali is cooked until it's stiff enough to slice with a knife — eaten by hand, broken into pieces, rolled into a small ball with a thumb-press divot to scoop the greens. Sukuma wiki is most often collard greens cooked with onion, tomato, and a touch of cumin. Together they are filling, almost completely fat-free, fortifying, and beloved enough that ugali has been declared part of Kenya's intangible cultural heritage.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 Lwater
• 0.5 tspsalt
• 350 gwhite maize flour (unga wa mahindi)
• 500 gcollard greens (sukuma wiki) or kale, very thinly sliced into ribbons
• 2 tbspneutral oil
• 1 largered onion, diced
• 3 clovesgarlic, minced
• 2tomatoes, diced
• 1 tspground cumin
• 0.5 tspground coriander
• 1 smallgreen chili, minced (optional)
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tbsplemon juice

Instructions

1. 1

   Boil water

   In a heavy-bottomed pot, bring water and salt to a rolling boil.

2. 2

   Add flour gradually

   Reduce heat to medium-low. Add a third of the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon (mwiko) to a smooth paste. Cook 2 minutes.

3. 3

   Build the ugali

   Add the remaining flour in two more additions, stirring vigorously each time. The mass will get stiff and harder to stir.

   If the mass tears your spoon hand, you're on the right track — proper ugali requires a real workout.

4. 4

   Steam-finish

   Once you have a firm dough that pulls cleanly from the pot sides, lower heat to minimum. Press the ugali into a smooth mound with the spoon. Cover and steam 5 minutes. The ugali should be glossy and slice cleanly.

5. 5

   Turn out

   Invert the pot onto a plate — the ugali should drop out as one smooth dome. Cover loosely while you finish the greens.

6. 6

   Make sukuma wiki

   Heat oil in a wide pan. Sauté onion 4 minutes until soft. Add garlic, cumin, coriander, and chili; bloom 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes; cook 3 minutes until they break down.

7. 7

   Wilt greens

   Add ribboned greens in two batches, wilting between additions. Add salt and a splash of water. Cover and cook 6–8 minutes until tender but still bright green. Finish with lemon juice.

8. 8

   Serve

   Place a wedge of ugali on each plate alongside a generous pile of sukuma wiki. Eat with the right hand: break off ugali, press a thumb divot, scoop greens.

Variations

• •

  Sukuma wiki with peanut paste: stir in 2 tbsp peanut butter in the last minute for a richer Tanzanian-style version.

• •

  Ugali wa wimbi: use millet flour for a darker, earthier porridge (Western Kenya style).

• •

  Add diced beef or chunks of fried fish to the greens for a heartier plate.

Storage

Ugali is best fresh. Leftovers can be sliced and pan-fried in oil the next day. Sukuma wiki refrigerates 3 days; gently reheat.

Frequently Asked Questions