Ugali (Corn Fufu) – Experience African comfort food at home with this nutrient-packed cornmeal porridge. Enjoy an easy, soft, delightful, filling side dish with only three ingredients! This ugali recipe is the perfect cornmeal side dish for greens, stews, and proteins.
Delicious, filling corn meal side dishes are a staple food in restaurants and homes around the continent. All come under different aliases. Most notable are fufu corn (West Africa), couscous de maize (in French-speaking African countries), ugali (Kenya), nshima (Zambia), nsima (Malawi), and mielie pap in South Africa.
What Is Ugali?
Ugali is a thick porridge made from white maize meal cooked in water or milk until it becomes a thick dough. A piece of ugali serves as a spoon. Make a dent in the middle (swallow), and spoon a bite of draw soup (ogbono and okra soup are two examples).
This bland side dish is delightful with greens, stews, or protein. And it doesn’t overpower your delicious stew.
Recipe Ingredients
I’ve even eaten corn fufu at a friend’s place made with Jiffy cornbread mix, which I enjoyed. I’m not going to lie; sometimes, I use the Jiffy mix when cooking for one. I can just hear fufu purists shouting out HERESY! But, hey, use what you have available.
- Water: I don’t usually list water as an ingredient, but it’s essential for cooking the cornmeal. And you’ll need a pinch of salt.
- Cornmeal: Perfectly ground maize corn is readily available in Africa, but it’s another ball game abroad. Look for finely ground white cornmeal or yellow cornmeal. Corn flour or maize flour should also be available at ethnic grocery stores.
How to Make Ugali (Corn Fufu)
- Boil – Add about 4 cups of water to a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add ½ teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, remove a cup of water, and set aside. (Photo 1)
- Add Cornmeal – Stir in the cornmeal a little at a time with a wooden spoon until it’s all in the pot. Keep stirring to prevent lumps. To avoid burning, you may have to take the saucepan off the heat while removing lumps. (Photos 2-3)
- Reduce heat and cook on low until the mixture thickens. (Photo 4)
- Final Stretch – Add the remaining boiled water, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 10 more minutes. Add some more water if it looks like it needs it. Turn off the heat.
- Serve – Scoop out balls of the ugali mixture with a small bowl. Roll it into a ball by rolling it around the bowl. Or shape it by wrapping it in a plastic wrap. (Photos 5-8)
Note: Several have told me that wrapping it in plastic isn’t healthy. It’s up to you.
Recipe Variations
- Cornmeal swap. Millet, sorghum, cassava, and green plantains all make great fufu.
- Butter. Add a tablespoon of butter to your fufu corn to make it rich and creamy. Yum!
- Milk. Substitute the water with milk for a softer ugali. Children and older people enjoy this version because it’s easier to swallow.
Tips and Tricks
- Stir constantly to get a smooth paste.
- The cornmeal should cook for about 15 minutes to remove the raw taste.
- Cornmeal thickens as it cools. So add more water for a softer ugali.
- Don’t stop stirring for lump-free ugali.
Make-Ahead Instructions
You can make ugali ahead, though I prefer it fresh. But sometimes we need to save time for later. If I make it for later, I make smaller servings. You can keep them in the fridge for a day or two or the freezer for a few months.
Heat the largest skillet or pan you have over low heat. Add the ugali in a single layer and add enough water to steam it for 15 minutes without burning. I also like to add a little oil to slightly toast the ugali.
Serving and Storage Instructions
Keep leftover ugali well-wrapped so they don’t dry out. It should last up to a week, the same as cornmeal porridge. Or freeze it for a couple of months. Reheat covered in a skillet on low with a little water for about 15 minutes to heat through.
What to Serve With Ugali?
Enjoy eating ugali, also called a swallow, with a soup called a draw. Pair it with African collard greens (sukuma wiki) or Okro Soup. Njama Njama and Ogbono Soup are also delicious.
More Tasty African Recipes to Try
- Peri-Peri Chicken
- Bobotie
- Plantain Fritters
- Irio (Mashed Sweet Potato Recipe with Peas and Corn)
- African American Cornbread Dressing
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”ekolbUwE” upload-date=”2020-03-28T13:53:13.000Z” name=”Ugali Fufu” description=”Ugali (Corn Fufu) — Easy to prep, soft, very delightful and filling side dish. A perfect cornmeal side dish for greens, stews and proteins.” player-type=”default” override-embed=”default”]This blog post was originally published in January 2015 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video
