Ubugali

Ingredients

Flour

• 400 gcassava flour
• or a mix of cassava and maize flour, which is very common

Water

• 1.2litres

Equipment

• a heavy pot
• a strong wooden spoon or paddle, umwuko

To serve

• bean stew, ibiharage
• sombe, cassava leaves
• fish stew
• grilled meat

Directions

1. Bring the water to a rolling boil in a heavy pot. First mix about a quarter of the flour with cold water into a smooth slurry and stir it into the boiling water.
2. Let it cook for a few minutes, stirring. Add it slowly and never tip it in at once, since flour dumped into hot liquid seizes into lumps that will not come out. Work the mixture hard against the side of the pot with a wooden paddle.
3. Press, fold and turn it continuously for 10 to 15 minutes. The dough becomes very stiff and resistant, and it takes strength. Hold the pot steady, since it will try to move.
4. Cook it until it no longer tastes or smells of raw flour and it has become smooth and elastic. Raw ubugali tastes chalky and is unpleasant, and it needs longer on the heat than people expect, so give it the full time.
5. Add a splash of hot water if it becomes too stiff to work. Now the shaping, done with a wet bowl. Swirl it to make a smooth ball and turn it out onto a plate. Wetting the bowl is what stops it sticking, and it gives the smooth dome that ubugali is served as.
6. Serve it hot, on a shared plate, with a bowl of stew alongside. Pinch off a piece with the right hand and roll it into a ball in the palm.
7. Make a dent with the thumb and use it to scoop up the stew. It stiffens considerably as it cools and it is always eaten hot.

Technique

• Cassava flour is already processed and carries none of the risk of the raw root.
• Ugali, fufu, nsima and posho are the same idea across the region.
• A mix of cassava and maize flour is very common.

Substitutions

• Maize flour alone, which gives ugali or nsima.
• A mix of cassava and maize, which is softer.

Variations

• Made with maize flour alone.
• Made with sorghum flour.
• Made softer, with more water.

History

Cassava flour, and often maize, stirred to a stiff dough; cassava was promoted through the Great Lakes as a famine-resistant crop.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ubugali?

Ubugali is a main from Burundi: stiff cassava paste scooped with bean and fish stews. Cassava flour, and often maize, stirred to a stiff dough; cassava was promoted through the Great Lakes as a famine-resistant crop.

How long does Ubugali take to make?

Ubugali takes 5 min of preparation and 25 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Ubugali?

Yes, within limits. Maize flour alone, which gives ugali or nsima. A mix of cassava and maize, which is softer.

What is the most important thing to get right in Ubugali?

Let it cook for a few minutes, stirring. Add it slowly and never tip it in at once, since flour dumped into hot liquid seizes into lumps that will not come out. Work the mixture hard against the side of the pot with a wooden paddle.