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. 

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 two-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:

• Fall Pear Ugly Duckling Cake (Cake Mix Recipe) from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Miso Roasted Sweet Potatoes from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Sourdough Discard Walnut Ginger Cookies from A Messy Kitchen
• Ugali - Savory Maize Meal Porridge from Food Lust People Love
• Unicorn Popcorn from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Unicorn Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies from Blogghetti
• Upvasacha Cake from Sneha’s Recipe
• Urchin Butter from Culinary Cam
• Uzbek Rice with Beef and Carrots (Plov) from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• White Urad Dal from Mayuri’s Jikoni

Here are my posts for the 2026 alphabet challenge, thus far:

A: Ají de Cerdo aka Peruvian Pork Stew

B: Baby Cos Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing 

C. Traditional Cullen Skink 

D. Coconut Cream Date Caramel 

E. Edamame Summer Salad 

F. Lamb Feta Mint Patties 

G. Ricotta Gnocchi à la Poêle 

H. Hazelnut Vodka 

I. Italian Sausage Stuffed Mini Peppers - this post!

J. Jägersuppe - Hunter's Soup 

K. Easy Chicken Kapama 

L. Easy Lamb Shoulder Roast 

M. Miso Chocolate Cookies 

N. Duck Egg Narjissiya 

O. Marinated Apéro Olives

P. Bacon and Pork Patties 

Q. Baked Quail Egg XO Sauce Appetizers 

R. Roasted Stuffed Chicken Parcels 

S. Scallop Roe Bottarga 

T. Garlic Lemon Tuna Steaks - Sous Vide 

U. Ugali - Savory Maize Meal Porridge - this post!

To check out the Alphabet Challenges for 2024 and 2025, click here.

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Classic Alabama Pecan Bread #BreadBakers

This Alabama Pecan Bread is a sweet chewy treat – akin to a blondie - that is a must at potlucks and family reunions all over the southern states.

While its origins aren’t easy to pin down, the first Alabama pecan bread recipes date back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when commercial pecan production took off in Alabama. Hence the name.

In my own home state of Louisiana, pecan growing for profit dates back even farther to the arrival of the French who recognized the potential of the wild pecan groves regularly harvested by the indigenous peoples. Nuts are an excellent protein source.

In fact, as early as the late 1700s, the Port of New Orleans started recording the sale and export of pecans as a profitable commodity. This makes Louisiana the actual origin of the pecan as a commercial crop. 

Even before I learned this history, I always thought of Louisiana as the source of the best pecans because, growing up, my extended family grew and harvested them. Until my maternal grandmother passed away, I never had to buy pecans. She always had a few pounds, already shelled, waiting for me when I’d visit. 

Alabama Pecan Bread

Recipes for Alabama pecan bread abound and there are many variations like the addition of sweet potatoes, pumpkin, cranberries, chocolate chips, coconut, etc. but the classic recipe is exactly the same on too many websites to count! This recipe was adapted from one on Mama Sue’s Southern Kitchen. 

Ingredients

1 ½ cups or 190g flour

2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup or 200g sugar

1 cup or 200g dark brown sugar

4 eggs

1 cup or 240ml canola or other light oil, plus a little extra for the baking pan

2 cups, chopped, or 240g pecans

1 teaspoon vanilla

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare a 9 x 13 in or 23 x 33cm baking dish by greasing it or line it with baking parchment.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt to combine.

In another larger bowl, whisk the sugar, brown sugar, eggs and oil together well until you have a homogeneous mixture. 

Set aside a handful of the pecans for topping.

Add the flour mixture, pecans, and vanilla to the sugar/egg/oil bowl. 

Stir well to combine. 

Pour the batter into your prepared baking dish. Top with the reserved pecans.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in your preheated oven or until done. 

Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack before cutting into squares to serve. The edges aren't pretty but they were my favorite pieces. (My husband agreed!)

Enjoy!

It’s the second Tuesday of the month, so that means it’s time for my Bread Bakers group to share their recipes. Our host, Kelly of Passion Kneaded chose nuts as our theme. Many thanks to her for the impetus to research my favorite nut, the pecan. Check out the link list below. 

• Classic Alabama Pecan Bread from Food Lust People Love
• Coconut Flour Banana Nut Bread from Passion Kneaded 
• Cranberry Pecan Boule from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Easy Cinnamon Nut Loaf from A Messy Kitchen
• Maple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls from Magical Ingredients
• Mini Chocolate Almond Babka from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Nutty Miso Banana Bread from Sneha's Recipe 

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

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Roasted Butternut Squash Lentil Vegetable Soup

If it’s possible for a dish to be hearty but also, somehow, light, roasted butternut squash lentil vegetable soup is it! It’s a substantial bowl of comfort, rich in nutrition and protein, not heavy, just luscious!

You’re probably going to laugh (I did when I cut it open!) but I bought this butternut squash back in February and never got around to cooking it until, I kid you not, September. But to show you the longevity and storability of a butternut, it was absolutely perfect. 

We love it simply roasted with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper but the weather had turned a little chilly on us so I was craving soup. I added the lentils to up the protein content and it was a very good decision. And since I was using the urad dal, a little curry powder seemed like it would be another good addition. And, indeed, it was.

Roasted Butternut Squash Lentil Vegetable Soup

To make this vegetarian, use vegetable stock instead of chicken. I make mine from stock cubes. For a vegan soup, also skip the yogurt to serve or use a non-dairy version. I give the weights of my vegetables below as a guideline but more or less won't affect the flavors of this lovely soup. Serves six. 

Ingredients

3 ½ oz or 100g red (masoor dal) or white (urad dal) lentils

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 butternut squash - small, medium, large - all good! 

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 medium onion – about 150g

2 cloves garlic

4 small carrots – about 7 oz or 200g

New potatoes, about 8 oz or 227g 

2 teaspoons curry powder

4 cups or 946ml chicken (or vegetable) stock

Good pinch asafetida – if you have it

3 ½ oz or 100g baby spinach (I like to pinch off the stems but you can leave the leaves intact, if you prefer.)

For garnish: small handful cilantro, roughly chopped

Optional to serve: dollop plain yogurt per bowl

Method

Rinse the lentils. If you are using red lentils (masoor dal), carry on. If you are using the white ones (urad dal) they need to be soaked in water for 30 minutes. Rinse and soak, drain, then carry on.

Preheat your oven to 375°F or 190°C and prepare a baking pan by lining it with baking parchment or a silicone liner. 

Halve the butternut squash and scoop the seeds out. Cut the halves in half and put them on the prepared baking pan. Drizzle them with half the olive oil then sprinkle with fine sea salt and black pepper. 

Roast in your preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until they are fork tender. 

Set them aside to cool while you finish prepping the rest of your vegetables.

Peel and finely chop the onion and mince the garlic. 

Peel the carrots and cut them into short, bite-sized pieces.

Scrub or peel the new potatoes, as needed. I scrubbed mine then decided they needed to be peeled because they were looking a little scruffy. Sorry, no pics.

In a Dutch oven, add the remaining half of the olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic until soft. Then, add in the curry powder and give it a stir to combine. 

Add in the stock and bring it to a low boil. 

Try the peel of your butternut squash. If it’s tender enough to eat, chop the whole thing into small bits. If it’s not, scoop the flesh out and discard the peels.

Put the squash into the Dutch oven along with lentils. If you have it, add the good pinch of asafetida now. When added to cooking lentils, it's said to help with the common side effect of eating them, flatulence. I can't say if that's true or not but I do always add it, just in case! 

Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are cooked and tender. 

Use a hand blender or normal blender to puree the soup at little, being careful not to splash yourself with hot liquid! I like to leave some bits of squash so I don’t puree until completely smooth. 

Add in the carrots and potatoes and cook for a further 30 or so minutes, or until they are both cooked through and tender. 

Add in the baby spinach. As per the note in the ingredients, as you can see, mine are sans stems.

Stir until the spinach is heated through and thoroughly wilted.

Serve the soup with a sprinkling of chopped cilantro and a dollop of plain yogurt, if desired.

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing recipes with winter squash, sweet and savory, to celebrate the arrival of Autumn. Many thanks to our host, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. Check out the link list below. 

• Apple & Butternut Squash Salad from Mayuri's Jikoni
• Creamy Sausage, Tomato, & Squash Pasta  from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Baked Acorn Squash with Butter and Brown Sugar from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Butternut Squash Cake from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Gnocchi with Roasted Squash and Sausage from A Messy Kitchen
• Parmesan and Thyme Honeynut Squash from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Pumpkin-Filled Flat White Pumpkin from Culinary Cam
• Pumpkin Soup for Two from Sneha's Recipe
• Roasted Butternut Squash Lentil Vegetable Soup from Food Lust People Love

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Lentil Vegetable Soup!

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