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What is ugali?
Ugali is a stiff porridge made from white corn flour and water. It is the everyday staple of Kenya and Tanzania, and the same dish goes by sadza in Zimbabwe, nshima in Zambia, posho in Uganda and pap in South Africa.1 You cook it until it is firm enough to hold its shape, then eat it with your hands next to stew, greens or grilled meat.
Table of Contents
Ugali, sadza, nshima, pap: one dish, many names
Across East and Southern Africa, people eat the same stiff maize porridge and argue happily about whose version is best. The flour and the method are close to identical. What changes is the name, how firm it is cooked, and what goes next to it.1,2,3
| Name | Where | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Ugali | Kenya, Tanzania | The best-known name. Kenyan ugali is cooked very firm and cut like a cake. |
| Posho | Uganda | Often a little softer. Eaten with beans or groundnut sauce. |
| Sadza | Zimbabwe | Shona word that also just means "a meal". Eaten at lunch and supper. |
| Nshima | Zambia | Served with two relishes: usually one meat or fish, one vegetable. |
| Nsima | Malawi | The same dish, spelled the Chichewa way. |
| Pap (mealie pap) | South Africa | Can be stiff (stywe pap), crumbly (phutu) or soft like porridge. |
Don't mix up South African pap with Nigerian pap. In Nigeria, pap (ogi, akamu) is a soft fermented corn drink-porridge. Read our ogi guide for that one.
How to make ugali
Makes 3 to 4 servings. Takes about 15 minutes.
- Boil the waterBring the water to a boil in a heavy pot. Add salt if you like.
- Add flour slowlyLower the heat to medium. Pour in about 1 cup of flour while you stir with a wooden spoon (a mwiko in Swahili) so no lumps form.
- Keep addingAdd the rest of the flour a little at a time, stirring and pressing the dough against the side of the pot.
- Stir and foldKeep turning and folding for 8 to 10 minutes. It's ready when it is stiff, smooth and pulls away from the pot.
- Shape itTurn it out onto a plate. Wet your spoon or a bowl and press it into a smooth dome.
- Serve hotCut it in slices or pinch off pieces with your hand.
Making sadza? Many Zimbabwean cooks first mix some of the flour with cold water into a thin paste, bring that to a boil like porridge, then add the rest of the flour to stiffen it.3 Nshima is cooked the same way in Zambia.
Tips: lumps mean the flour went in too fast, so press them against the pot with the back of your spoon. Too soft? Add more flour. Too hard? Add a splash of hot water and keep stirring. A thin crust on the bottom of the pot is normal: soak it and it comes right off.
Which flour to buy for ugali
The classic choice. Fine and white, it gives smooth ugali. Look for "white maize flour" or "unga" on the bag.
A little coarser. Gives a slightly grainier ugali or sadza. Many families like it that way.
Works, but the ugali comes out yellow with a stronger corn taste. In East Africa, white is what people grew up with.
Masa (Maseca and similar) is corn treated with lime for tortillas. It gives ugali a different taste and texture, so keep it for tortillas.
Big family? The 25 lb Simba bags last a long time. Buy a 3 lb bag first if you only make ugali once in a while.
What to eat with ugali
Collard greens fried with onion and tomato. The most common partner in Kenya.
Grilled goat or beef with kachumbari (tomato and onion salad).
A tomato-based stew to scoop up with every bite. In Zimbabwe: sadza ne nyama.
Whole tilapia with ugali is a Lake Victoria classic.
In Zambia, nshima comes with two relishes: one meat, fish or beans, and one vegetable.2
Ugali vs fufu
Ugali
Made from: white corn flour and water
Where: East and Southern Africa
Texture: firm, a little grainy, cut or pinched
Eaten with: greens, stew, grilled meat
Fufu
Made from: cassava, plantain or yam (or a mix)
Where: West and Central Africa
Texture: soft, smooth and stretchy
Eaten with: light soup, egusi, okra soup
The closest West African cousin of ugali is Ghanaian banku, made from fermented corn and cassava dough. More in our guide to fufu.
What's in white corn flour
Shop ugali flour
All in stock at our store on 87th Street and online.
Ugali FAQ
What is ugali made of?
White corn (maize) flour and water. Some cooks add a pinch of salt. Nothing else.
Is ugali the same as sadza and nshima?
Yes, it is the same stiff corn porridge. Kenya and Tanzania call it ugali, Zimbabwe calls it sadza, Zambia calls it nshima, Malawi nsima, Uganda posho and South Africa pap.
What flour do I use for ugali in the US?
White corn flour or fine white cornmeal, often sold as unga wa mahindi or maize meal. Do not use masa harina (like Maseca): it is treated with lime and tastes different. Yellow cornmeal works but changes the color and taste.
How much water and flour do I need?
Start with about 2 parts water to 1 part flour, then add flour a little at a time until the ugali is stiff and pulls away from the pot. Every flour is a bit different.
What is the difference between ugali and fufu?
Ugali is made from corn flour cooked in water. Fufu is usually made from cassava, plantain or yam and is softer and stretchier. You eat both with your hands, dipped in soup or stew.
How do you eat ugali?
With your right hand. Pinch off a small ball, press a dent in it with your thumb, and use it to scoop up stew, greens or meat.
Where can I buy ugali flour in Chicago?
At Yado Market, 1651 E 87th St, Chicago. We carry Simba white corn flour and white corn meal in 25 lb bags, plus smaller bags, and ship across the US.
Sources
- Wikipedia. Ugali.
- Wikipedia. Nsima.
- Great Zimbabwe Guide. Classic Zimbabwe sadza recipe.
- USDA FoodData Central. Cornmeal, degermed, enriched, white (FDC 168922).
- USDA FoodData Central. Cornmeal, whole-grain, white (FDC 169750).