Ugali na Mchicha

Name: Ugali na Mchicha
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Tanzania
Ingredients: 2 cups white maize flour (ugali flour); 4 cups water; 1 tsp salt; 2 bunches fresh mchicha (amaranth greens or spinach), chopped; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 onion, finely chopped; 2 tomatoes, chopped; 1/4 cup peanut butter (optional); salt and pepper to taste

4 servings10 min prep25 min cookEasy Tanzania

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The Story Behind It

The Tale of Ugali na Mchicha

Ugali, a stiff maize porridge, became East Africa's staple only after maize arrived via Portuguese trade centuries ago and gradually overtook older grains. Paired with mchicha, sautéed greens, it's a daily meal central to Tanzanian and wider Swahili-coast cooking.

Ingredients

Scale:· 4 servings

2 cups white maize flour (ugali flour)
4 cups water
1 tsp salt
2 bunches fresh mchicha (amaranth greens or spinach), chopped
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup peanut butter (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1Bring 3 cups of water to a boil with a pinch of salt.
2Mix the remaining 1 cup water with the maize flour to form a smooth paste, then pour into the boiling water while stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
3Reduce heat and keep stirring vigorously, adding more flour gradually, until the ugali pulls away from the sides of the pot and becomes stiff, about 10-15 minutes.
4Turn the ugali onto a plate and shape into a mound using a wet wooden spoon.
5For the mchicha, heat oil in a pan and sauté onion until soft, then add tomatoes and cook until they break down.
6Stir in the chopped greens and peanut butter if using, season with salt and pepper, and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes.
7Serve the ugali alongside the mchicha.

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