Uganda, land of the white Nile, the wild and untamed Bujagali, the mountain gorilla, the Bwindi forest and the eternally quiet Kasubi tombs, isn’t too often found on the itineraries of food hunters – and sadly so. Ugandans are friendly and generous people – eager to please and hospitable in the extreme – even the poorest of the poor are eager to share what little they have with their guests unlike so many of their western brothers and sisters in similar circumstances. The original Ugandans were hunter-gatherers until about 1,500 to 2,000 years ago and had migrated

from central and western Africa, arriving in the southern part of Uganda first. By the time they arrived they had already developed ironworking skills. Social and political organisations were in place by the 14^th and 15^th century – in particular, the Kitara empire which was the first form of formal organisation in place in the south. The Nilotic peoples who arrived around 120 AD were cattle herders and subsistence farmers as were those that came after them (the Luo, the Bantu, the Ateker etc). The region was lush and beautiful and teemed with wild animals – both edible and tradeable.  It is, probably, from this region that wild animals were drawn to satisfy the Roman obsession with blood-sport. The diet would have been simple and healthy with limited salt use and local spices & herbs for flavouring and for health purposes. As  the Arab traders moved in around the 1830’s, new and  more exotic spices were introduced along with the Arab cooking skills – if only to the wealthy. British explorers followed in the 1860’s to look for the source of the Nile, followed by the inevitable missionaries and then, as elsewhere

BREAKFAST PORRIDGE

Ingredients

• 250 ml pearl millet meal (sorghum may also be used)
• 750 – 1,000 ml water (depending on the consistency preferred)
• 250 ml soured milk
• 2 tbsp sugar

Method

• Mix the flour with ½ cup water and place in a covered container and let stand 24 – 48 hours in a warm place (for unfermented porridge this step is omitted).
• Bring remaining water to boil and add the fermented flour.
• Boil for 10 – 15 min until smooth and thick and then add the sour milk, stir well and boil for 1-2 extra minutes.
• Sprinkle with Sugar and serve hot for breakfast or lunch.

in Africa, the Brits claimed it for themselves in 1888 (well, more or less) and since they weren’t too terribly inclined towards manual labour, they brought in Indian labour and expertise from their Indian colony – this was the single greatest influence on the culinary tradition of Uganda. Spices were introduced to Uganda and even though the menus were still decidedly British – they were spiced up and even Africanised. By 1914 only, the country we now know as Uganda finally took shape – before this the region consisted of several territories, clans and chiefdoms that had to be integrated first to form the country we now know and this is, often, a little difficult for the non-African mind to grasp. There was no definitive culinary tradition amongst the tribesmen as they ate what the countryside had on offer and yet the diet, though simple was adequate for the needs of the people living in the countryside. In the early

MATOKE

Ingredients

• 8 – 10  plantains
• 500 g ground beef (or cubed, stewing meat like goat or lamb)
• 500 ml homemade beef stock
• 1 large lemon, juice only
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 – 3 large, ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 green bell pepper (pepperoni), chopped
• 3 – 4 large cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped
• 1 hot green chilli, chopped
• A mixture of salt, roasted, coarsely ground coriander and cayenne pepper to taste*

Method

• Peel the plantains, cut them into cubes and sprinkle the with lemon juice to prevent discolouration and for taste purposes – then set aside.
• Heat some oil in a large heavy bottomed saucepan and brown the meat so that it is crumbly (if you are using minced beef) or well seared and golden brown if you are using stewing meat and then set aside in a plate.
• Heat the rest of the oil in the same heavy bottomed saucepan and fry the onions, the tomatoes, the bell peppers, the chilli and the garlic until the onions are translucent and softened, scraping often to deglaze the pan.
• Add the spices to taste and then add the meat again – continue frying and stirring until the meat is almost done and the liquid is boiling well.
• Reduce heat, add the plantains and cover and simmer over low to medium heat until the plantains are tender and meat is cooked.
• Serve hot or at room temperature.

part of the 1900’s, a sleeping sickness epidemic killed more than a quarter of a million Ugandans and roughly at the same time, the Africans discovered western politics and modern bad habits whilst corrupt westerners discovered the inherent wealth of this breathtakingly beautiful country. From that point onwards Uganda became a bone of contention between Russia and China for a while and when they weren’t looking,  the cruel and crazy Idi Amini, backed by Muammar Gaddafi sneaked into power and did more damage to the Ugandan economy than anyone ever had – he removed the Indians by force, obliterated the economy and since that time Uganda has never known true peace which ensured that the menu, if there is enough food to have one,  is still simple and no complex culinary tradition exists.  Each region has it’s own speciality – as everywhere in the world. Most Ugandan recipes are based on fresh fruit, vegetables and a little meat – in northern Uganda, meals are always served with Boo

(green vegetables served in a local peanut sauce known as sim sim sauce and Malakwang (more or less the same thing, in the east, the Samia will tell you nothing beats their specific fish, known as Ngeni while the Bagisu consider the local bamboo shoots called Malewa to be their speciality. We quote a famous Ugandan chef and food critic, Kadumukasa Kironde: “One would have to take a compilation from different regions.  Boo and malakwang from the north are very good,  eshabwe in small doses is a rare delicacy;  the best pilao can hold its own with the best rice dish that Spain has to offer. Good matooke is a delicacy on its own. “We are impractical in terms of balancing our meals with carbohydrates, greens, protein etc.  You will find that despite the widespread poverty that exists in Uganda, very few people eat greens with their meal yet it grows practically wild in this verdant country. Elsewhere as in the West, people are more aware of the need to eat a balanced diet. No doubt this is also attributable to level of education as well as cultural norms as we continue to extol the virtues of enyamma ensava (fat laded meat)and believe that it makes for the best meat/stew.”

Today, cuisine in the rural areas differs from location to location and is dependent on the seasons but, throughout the year, season organic fruit serve both as snacks and emergency meals. Urban cuisine has also seen great innovation and seriously delicious quick meals like the rolex (see our video below) and kokomando (a chapatti and bean dish) is Uganda’s answer to the dreaded burger. Food is cheap and in markets and around trading centres, a whole meal can cost as little as Shs 2,000 and fast foods like bananas, roasted corn, pancakes, oranges, pineapples and host of other fruits are sold everywhere.  As in some Asian and latin American countries, Ugandans also eat grasshoppers (nsenene) and ants – here they eat a white ant called nswa. Plantains are turned into matoke (mashed) or katogo (stewed for breakfast), bananas are eaten fresh (and called bogoya) or roasted and are then known as gonja. The soup, served and wrapped in banana leaves is known as luwumbo is legendary. As far as eating traditions go, men always get the lion’s share of the meat but that’s probably because the women have already tasted the food whilst they cook it – so much so that by the time the men get the food, they’ve had more than sufficient thank-you-very-much. Ugandans are a generous people and at dinner parties or festivities guests commonly face mountains of food.

Main courses are based on a stew or a sauce made from groundnuts (peanuts), an ugali (made from maize meal or millet), matoke (boiled and mashed green banana) and cassava, yams and African sweet potatoes and the wealthy would, typically, enjoy a little white potatoes and rice as well. Soyabeans were introduced in the early 1970’s and is served throughout the day but especially at breakfast time and then there’s the Asian chapati which is well loved by tourist and locals. Fresh chicken,  fresh fish (well, mostly fresh – there’s a really good dried fish used for stews),  fresh beef, fresh goat and fresh mutton are commonly enjoyed except in the poorer, rural regions where there would have to be a good reason for slaughtering a large animal like a goat or a cow – here meat (nyama in Swahili) would not be eaten every day. A host of leafy greens (dodo, nakati & borr) are grown locally and boiled in the stews or served as side dishes in the wealthier homes.  Ugali is turned into a thick porridge for breakfast and at the main meals of the day, white flour is added to the saucepan and stirred into the ugali until the consistency is firm to be turned out on a wooden board or serving plate and cut into individual slices to be served.  As we said before, fruit is plentiful and naturally, the Europeans introduced cake which is hugely popular.

PEANUT SOUP

Ingredients

• 500 ml ground peanuts – remove the skins first
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 500 ml whole milk
• 250 ml whipping cream (or coconut cream, if you are lactose intolerant)
• 750 ml homemade chicken stock or
• 3 heaped tbsp grated roughly chopped onion
• 3 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated (optional)
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp grains of paradise
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (be wary of the pepper, though – you just may not need it)

Method

• Place the cornstarch in a deep pot, slowly  add the milk, stirring until smooth.
• Pour in the stock, add the peanuts, the onions, the ginger, the grains of paradise, the salt and the cayenne pepper, stirring constantly.
• Bring to a boil and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.
• Beat with a rotary beater for  a minute and strain or place in an electric blender and puree to the desired consistency.
• Serve hot.
• Hint – this is good with a swirl of olive oil,  a little freshly squeezed lemon juice and good handful of freshly chopped coriander leaves even though it’s not the traditional addition.

The small, oval green beans known as mung beans (the moong in the Indian moong dal) were introduced to Uganda by it’s former Indian inhabitants – something for which Ugandans should be eternally grateful. The beans are extremely nutritious and easy to digest and can be eaten whole and with or without their skins. Here they are turned into an exquisite sauce that would be at home on any modern table.

CHOROKO SAUCE

Ingredients

• 375 ml mung beans
• 2 tbsp vegetable (or light olive oil)
• 3 fresh medium tomatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 3 or 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 tsp teaspoon seasoned salt* (see the recipe for Matoke)
• Additional  salt to taste, should you need it
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 125 ml water

Method

• Place beans in a medium bowl and cover with water, allow to soak overnight.
• Drain the beans in a colander.
• Fill a medium saucepan half full of water and bring it to a boil over high heat.
• Add the beans and cook until tender (about 1 – 1 ½ hours)
• Drain the beans in a colander and place in a  bowl – mash them well  - typically a fork is used.
• Bring the stove to medium heat and then, in a large heavy bottomed frying pan, heat some for about a minute.
• Add  the onions and the garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent and then add the tomatoes – as soon as the tomatoes have softened, add the mashed beans and season with seasoned salt, ordinary salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
• Pour in about 125 ml water and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes – add a little water if needed (but it’s doubtful that it will be needed).
• Serve over rice or with chapatis.