Food Lust People Love: Ugali - Savory Maize Meal Porridge

Wednesday, October 14, 2026

Ugali - Savory Maize Meal Porridge

A staple and traditional dish from Kenya, ugali is a savory maize meal porridge cooked as one would grits but served quite firm and cut into portions.

Food Lust People Love: A staple and traditional dish from Kenya, ugali is a savory maize meal porridge cooked as one would grits but served quite firm and cut into portions.

I’ve been researching recipes that start with the letter U for pretty much the whole last year and came up with a few, including ugali. I wasn’t sure I’d ever find maize meal to make it though, until I remembered the one stall at the market in town which carries an impressive number of items – dry goods AND even fresh vegetables - imported from various African nations.

Sure enough! The maize meal was up high on a top shelf and I just had to ask for it by name after searching on my own for a while with no success. The stall proprietor quickly handed over a kilo bag and I left so happy! This just proves how multicultural the island of Jersey has gotten in the last few years.

It wasn’t very long back when I had to import my favorite Asian ingredients as well and, now, we have at least three shops that specialize in those items! My suitcases leaving Houston are a whole lot lighter these days.

When I think of porridge, it usually means a soft oatmeal dish that can be eaten with a spoon. For ugali, the maize meal is cooked longer until it pulls away from the side of the pot. Once firm, it can be turned out onto a plate and cut into wedges.

Traditionally, it is most often accompanied by collard greens cooked with onions and tomatoes but sometimes it’s served with meaty stews or grilled meat and a fresh tomato and onion salad called kachumbari.

Ugali - Savory Maize Meal Porridge

Since only my husband and I were at home to enjoy this dish, I made a quarter of the original recipe, but with a little extra ghee. If you are feeding more people, you can reliably double or quadruple the recipe, using 1 tablespoon of butter or ghee for double and 2 tablespoons for quadruple. I adapted mine from a recipe on Serious Eats.

Ingredients

1 cup or 240 ml water

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 tablespoon butter or ghee

1/2 cup or 86g maize meal or sub fine white cornmeal

Method

In a medium pot, bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in the butter or ghee until melted.

While continuously whisking to prevent lumps from forming, gradually pour in the maize meal.

Once all the maize meal is added, keep whisking until it's too thick to whisk.

At this point, switch to a wooden spoon or silicone spatula and stir the ugali, using the utensil to break up any lumps against the side of the pot as needed. I didn’t have any lumps because, despite quick pauses to take photos, I did whisk prodigiously!

Continue to cook until the ugali forms a film along the bottom and sides of the pan and is firm enough to hold its shape, 4 to 5 minutes. The texture should be much thicker than polenta or grits and the ugali should hold its shape when pressed with the spoon.

Use the spoon to smooth it into an even layer and continue to cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and run a small silicone spatula or butter knife along the sides of the pot to loosen the ugali.

Hold a plate flush to the pot, then invert the ugali onto the plate. The ugali should easily release from the pot onto the plate. If it doesn’t easily release, return it to the stove top and continue to cook for another minute or so.

Once flipped out, keep it covered with the pot or a bowl until ready to serve, up to 20 minutes.

Cut the ugali into wedges.

I didn’t have any grilled meat but I did have a lovely heirloom tomato, onion and some fresh cilantro, so we ate our ugali with the traditional salad I mentioned above.

Enjoy!

Welcome to the 21st edition of Alphabet Challenge 2026, brought to you by the letter U. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the U recipes below: