Ugali with Coconut Milk Stewed Beans

Ugali with Coconut Milk Stewed Beans

Ugali with Coconut Milk Stewed Beans

Ugali with coconut milk stewed beans is the national dish of Tanzania. Initially when you hear what it is, it sounds kind of underwhelming. It is everything but that when you taste it. Ugali is made of maize flour and water and is eaten in many African countries. It is simmered as a porridge to a thick mashed potato-like consistency. It starts to firm up in the pot. It is then rolled into a ball, becoming your starch for the dish. The maharage is kidney beans with tomatoes, carrots, and onions, briefly stewed with coconut milk. When you combine the ugali with the maharage, something magical happens. While being so simple, it is unbelievably flavorful. This is on the same addicting level as eating a coconut milk-based curry; the type that you can stop eating. If I were to ever go vegan, this would be a weekly staple in my house.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Tanzanian
Keyword: East African, main course, tanzanian, vegan
Servings: 2
Author: Alex Gorgos

Ingredients

Ugali

  • 4 cups water
  • 2 cups maize flour

Maharage

  • 4 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 2 roma tomatoes diced
  • 1 large carrot peeled and cubed
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • salt to taste
  • 1 can kidney beans drained and rinsed

Instructions

Ugali

  • Heat up the water in a pot over high heat. Turn down to medium heat. Stir in half of the maize flour.
    Tanzanian, main course, vegan
  • Once bubbling, cover and cook for 4 minutes.
    Tanzanian, main course, vegan
  • Take off the heat. Stir in the rest of the maize flour. Break up any lumps.
    Tanzanian, main course, vegan
  • Cook for 4 minutes. As it firms up, flip and cook for another 4 minutes. Do this process a total of 3 times
    Tanzanian, main course, vegan
  • Form into 2 oval like balls.
    Tanzanian, main course, vegan

Maharage

  • Heat up the oil in a pot over medium high heat. Sauté the onions for 5 minutes.
    Tanzanian, main course, vegan
  • Add in the tomatoes and cook for 5 more minutes.
    Tanzanian, main course, vegan
  • Stir in the carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt.
    Tanzanian, main course, vegan
  • Stir in the beans.
    Tanzanian, main course, vegan
  • Pour in the coconut milk and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.
    Tanzanian, main course, vegan
Tanzanian, main course, vegan
Tanzanian, main course, vegan
Serve the ugali with the maharage. If eating with your hands isn’t your thing, chop off a piece of the ugali with a spoon and scoop up the maharage.