getting Hungry?

Traditionally the Maasai rely solely on the by-products of their cattle and the goats they herd (beef, mutton, milk, etc.). But maize is used as staple food, and is used in recipes such as:

Ugali

is thick and similar to porridge that many Kenyans eat this on a daily basis. Ugali is usually eaten with meat, stews, or sukuma wiki, which literally translates to “stretch the week.” This means that the food is used to stretch meals to last for the week. Sukuma wiki is a combination of chopped spinach or kale (a leafy green vegetable) that is fried with onions, tomatoes, maybe a green pepper, and any leftover meat, if available. It is seasoned with salt and some pepper.

The traditional way of eating ugali is to pinch off a piece of the dough with the right hand, and shape it into a scoop by pressing and indentation into the dough with the thumb. The ugali is used to scoop sauces or stew.

What you need

• 1 cup milk
• 1¼ cups cornmeal
• 1 cup water

What you do

here's what ugali's supposed to look like

1. Pour the milk into a mixing bowl. Slowly add ¾ cup of the cornmeal and whisk constantly into a paste.
2. Heat the water in a medium saucepan to boiling.
3. Using a wooden spoon, stir cornmeal and milk paste mixture into the boiling water. Reduce heat to low.
4. Slowly add the remaining ½ cup of cornmeal, stirring constantly. The mixture should be smooth with no lumps.
5. Cook for about 3 minutes. When the mixture begins to stick together and pull away from the sides of the pan, remove from heat.
6. Pour mixture into a greased serving bowl and allow to cool.
7. Serve at room temperature as a side dish to meat and vegetables.

Serves 4.

Chapati

are round, flat, unleavened bread  popular in Eastern Africa, and originates in West Asia, mainly India. A lot like Indian naan, chapatis is served with any African curries.

What you need

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (or whole-wheat flour, or a mixture of the two), sifted
• 1 teaspoon salt
• warm water
• cooking oil

here's what chapati's supposed to look like

What you do

1. All ingredients should be allowed to come to room temperature if they have been in the refrigerator. Mix flour and salt in a bowl. Slowly mix in enough water to make a thick dough. Mix in one spoonful oil. Knead dough on a cool surface for a few minutes, adding a few spoonfuls of dry flour. Return dough to the bowl, cover with a clean cloth, and let it rest for thirty minutes.
2. Lightly grease (with cooking oil) and pre-heat a skillet or griddle.
3. Divide the dough into orange-sized balls. Flatten them into six-inch circles. Fry them in the skillet or griddle, turning once, until each side is golden brown and spotted.
4. Cover the finished chapatis and place them in a warm oven until they are all done.
5. Serve with butter, and any curry, soup, or stew.

And that concludes the staple food portion of out menu

I’m definately eating.