Ugali
Ugali and (collard greens)
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| Alternative names | Sima, sembe, posho,ngima,k |
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| Type | Porridge |
| Main ingredients | Cornmeal |
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Ugali (also sometimes called Sima, Sembe, Obokima, Kaunga, Dona, Obusuma, ngima, arega or Posho) is a dish made of maize flour (cornmeal), millet flour, or Sorghum flour (sometimes mixed with cassava flour) cooked in boiling liquid (water or Milk) to a stiff or firm dough-like consistency (when it is a porridge then it is called uji)
The traditional method of eating ugali (and the most common in the rural areas) is to roll a lump into a ball with the right hand, and then dip it into a sauce or stew of vegetables and/or meat. Making a depression with the thumb allows the ugali to be used to scoop, and to wrap around pieces of meat to pick them up in the same way that flat bread is used in other cultures. Left over ugali can also be eaten with tea the following morning.
Ugali is relatively inexpensive and thus easily accessible to the poor, who usually combine it with a meat or vegetable stew (e.g. in Kenya) to make a filling meal. Ugali is easy to make and the flour can last for a considerable time in average conditions. Maize, from which the flour is obtained, is hardy and will grow reliably in dry seasons. For these reasons, ugali is an important part of the diet of millions of people in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The word ugali is a Bantu language term derived from Swahili. In parts of Tanzania, the dish also goes by the informal, "street" name of nguna.
In Kenya, ugali is also known as kimnyet in Kalenjin, ngima in Kikuyu, kuon, "mogo", "Chenge" or "Buru" in Luo, Obusuma in the Nyole dialect of Luhya,nkima in Meru and obokima in Kisii (Ekegusii). In Luhya culture it is the most common staple starch, but is also a key part of Luhya Wedding traditions; obusuma prepared from millet was traditionally included among delicasies on a bride's high table. Obusuma can also be prepared from other starches like millet, (known as obusuma bwo bule), sorghum or cassava (obusuma bwo 'muoko). Obusuma is commonly served with tsimboka, or etsifwa, Eliani (vegetables), inyama, (meat), inyeni, (fish), thimena, (whitebait) or omrere (jute leaves). For distinguished guests or visitors it is usually served with ingokho, (chicken).
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