Recipes Using Ugandan crops

Ground nuts (like peanuts) are an important part of the diet. They are roasted, pounded to a pulp and then made into a sauce which may be used with meat or matoke or vegetables. Here is a recipe for Groundnut Stew, using peanut butter, which you might like to try:

Ingredients
450g (1lb) stewing beef
6 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 medium onions (chopped)
450g (1lb) ripe tomatoes or 400g (14oz) tin of tomatoes (chopped)
3 fresh chillies
450g (1lb) carrots (or a mixture of carrots, turnips and courgettes)
Pinch of mixed herbs
2.5cm (l") piece of fresh ginger, grated or 1 heaped teaspoon dry ginger
Salt and black pepper

Method
Remove seed from chillies and chop them finely. Mix them with the peanut butter, ginger, herbs, vegetables and tomatoes. Place meat in a saucepan with a tight fitting lid and add the vegetable mixture and some seasoning. Put on the lid and cook very gently for about one and a half hours or until the meat is tender. Don't worry about the lack of liquid because the meat and vegetables will make enough. Why not try eating this with some sweet potatoes?

Potato and Peanut Rissoles (La bonne cuisine congolaise)

Ingredients
1 cup boiled potatoes
2 teaspoons flour
1 egg Salt
2 dessertspoons
milk
1 dessert spoon butter or margarine,
2 dessert spoons finely ground peanuts,
Hot red (cayenne) pepper powder.

Method
1. Mash potatoes and add salt and pepper.
2. Melt fat in a frying pan and mix in flour.
3. Add peanuts, while stirring well.
4. Turn mixture out onto a plate and divide into balls.
5. Roll balls in lightly whipped egg white.
6. Then roll them in slightly salted bread crumbs.
7. Fry in very hot oil until the rissoles are golden brown.

Matoke

Plantains or green bananas are the staple food for most people living near Lake Victoria. Called 'matoke', they are usually steamed, using the banana leaves as a wrapping, then mashed and eaten warm. You could try doing this, using the greenest bananas you can find and wrapping them in aluminum foil. To steam them, put some stones in the bottom of a large pan and cover with about 2.5cm (1in) of water. Place the banana parcels on top of the stones and steam them for about 10-15 minutes. Take care that the pan does not boil dry.

When ready, drain off the water and mash with a pestle or ladle and serve. For cultural reasons, it is considered bad manners to serve un-mashed bananas to guests.

Sweet Potatoes or Yams

These are very common and most families grow their own. They are usually peeled and boiled and eaten like ordinary potatoes. They may also be baked. Can you find some in a shop locally? How much do they cost? Can you buy some and try cooking and eating them?

Millet

This is a grain which has to be pounded to make a coarse flour. This is made into a kind of porridge, often eaten at breakfast time. Can you obtain some wheat or barley grains (from a health food shop) and pound them to make your own flour?

Millet - cassava bread

For this recipe, use ground flour (made from millet as above) mixed with cassava flour at a ratio of one to four. Boil water in a pan. Add flour while stirring gently. It will begin to hold, turning the mixture in the pan to a dark brown. The bread will get tougher so hold the pan with a cloth and continue to mix until all portions of white flour disappear. Maintain heat under the pan throughout. When the bread is hard enough, turn the pan over onto a tray. The bread is ready to eat -serve hot.

Pineapple Nut Bread

The African Cookbook by Bea Sandler

You will need:-
Loaf pan and mixing bowl, 2 cups of wholemeal flour, 1 cup of bran, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 cup of roasted peanuts, 2 eggs (beaten) 1 cup of drained, crushed pineapple. Water to bind together

Method
1. Beat the two eggs in a cup
2. Put flour, bran, baking powder, soda, salt and nuts into the bowl
3. Add the eggs and pineapple and mix well
4. Put mixture into a greased loaf pan
5. Bake at 350"F/180'C (gas mark 3) for 1 hour.
Bread should be left for one day and served thinly sliced with cream cheese.

Peanut Clusters

The African Cookbook by Bea Sandler You will need 1 mixing bowl 1 frying pan waxed paper 2 teaspoons 15g margarine (l/2 oz) 100g cooking chocolate (3 1/2 oz),100g of unsalted peanuts(3 1/2 oz)

Method
1. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over hot water.
2 Whilst you are waiting for the chocolate to melt. fry the peanuts in the margarine for a few minutes, turning frequently.
3. Drain the nuts and let them cool.
4. Add the cooled nuts to the melted chocolate and stir together.
5. Place the mixture on waxed paper in small clusters using teaspoons.
6. Leave clusters to set in a cool place.

Quiz